


Two Houses

by sambles



Series: Two Houses Verse [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Post Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-12-23 02:33:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11980236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sambles/pseuds/sambles
Summary: With the reapers destroyed and Garrus reunited with Shepard, things are finally looking up as they work to find their place in this new galaxy.  Wanting to mend the relationship with their respective kids, but not thrilled at the prospect of their coupling, Hannah Shepard and Castis Vakarian find they have a few things in common.





	1. Still Alive

_Alive…_

_She was alive…NOT dead…still unconscious, but alive...Shepard…alive..._

No matter how many times he said the words aloud, his brain stopped just short of processing them.It’s not that he hadn’t hoped and prayed and wished over and over again.But their goodbye had felt so…final.He could see it in her eyes.She hadn’t expected to make it.And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, neither had he.

Joker waited while Garrus came to terms with his new reality.Normally, he’d be all about giving Garrus a hard time, but the truth was that he didn’t really have much room to talk.When Hackett informed Kaidan over the vidcom, Joker nearly fell over, his legs turning to jelly.His world had fallen apart back when EDI went silent.Being responsible for the death of Commander Shepard (twice), would’ve pushed him over the edge, but she was alive.Her condition had been critical, but she’d already come a long way.  And they’d seen her come back from far worse. 

Themutterings of the turian had gone silent over the open com to Shepard’s quarters.Joker was a little worried.“Should I send up the doc?”

While Garrus was vaguely aware of Joker's voice, he was too busy losing himself in a holopic of Shepard to respond.  With his words failing him, he’d turned to looking at older pictures and stumbled upon one he’d forgotten about entirely. 

While a lot of people spoke of Shepard as if she were this mythical hero sent by the gods to save them, the reality was that she was just worked harder than anyone who had ever existed.As long as he had known her, 99% of her time was spent planning missions, researching other cultures, mastering absolute control over her biotics and hand-to-hand abilities, or working to know her crew then helping them reach their potential.He was inspired by her constant drive for self improvement and the sacrifices she made to be the hero everyone needed.  But his favorite thing about her fell within that other 1% of the time which most people didn’t get a chance to see.She recognized that if you didn’t spend a little time marveling at the beauty and absurdity in the world, there wasn’t much of a point to saving it. 

 

_“Come on, Vakarian.This place closes in an hour.We ship out in two.”She was taking him somewhere he’d never heard of in the lower wards.Shore leave was coming to an end.It was time to get back to hunting down the rogue spectre._

_“Right behind you, Shepard.So, what exactly is this place you’re taking me to?”_

_She hit him with one of those patented Shepard smirks, “I told you it was a surprise! We’re almost there.”Her pace quickened as she rounded the corner and came to an abrupt stop in front of a small cafe.“Here we are!”She bowed slightly and gestured her arms toward the door as if to formally present the cafe to him._

_He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, eyeing her skeptically,“I believe your exact words were ‘mission critical’, Commander?”_

_“And I meant it,” she said as she pulled him inside.The patrons sat around the cafe sipping on coffee as if it was normal for fuzzy, little quadrupeds to be crawling all over the place.He was at a loss._

_“Remember how I said your subvocals sounded like a cat purring?Well, this is a cat cafe.”She beamed up at him trying to gauge his reaction, but mostly read it as confused.“Research has shown that people who regularly interact with pets such as cats tend to exhibit lower levels of stress and anxiety.Petting them and winning over their affection is supposed to be therapeutic.”_

_The concept was foreign to him, but the people here seemed happy enough.“So you play with the cats before you eat them?”_

_“No! You don’t eat them.It’s a cafe with drinks and snacks where you can also play with cats.She paused a second, her eyes rolled up slightly as if contemplating something.“Yeah, okay.I get how that could be misleading."  She shrugged slightly then pointed across the room, "Look, there’s a spot over there.”_

_With that, she sat on the floor in the corner and was immediately overrun with the little creatures.She motioned for him to sit next to her.He did so, a little cautiously.As she scratched the cheeks of one whose collar read “Jean-Luc Picat,” it began to emit a deep, subtle vibration from its throat._

_He stared at her a little incredulously, “That’s what you think I sound like?”He froze as a little gray one climbed on his lap then jumped up to settle down in his cowl. He scratched the cat’s cheek gently with his talons mimicking Shepard’s earlier movements and was rewarded with a quiet purr. “I guess I can see why’d you think that, but this sound is fairly uniform. Subvocals are quite dynamic.”The kitten stirred at his voice then became distracted by a bright, red dot flashing on the wall several meters away. It jumped off of him, then effortlessly flipped directions in mid-air when the path of the dot changed._

_“I don’t know, Shep, this one seems to have more in common with you.”   His quiet chuckle stopped dead in his throat as his eyes landed on her.She sat on the floor, legs crossed, as several cats climbed all over her.A short-haired black one stood on her shoulder peaking out from behind her fiery, red hair.Another sat rigidly on top of her head, tucking its snowy white arms and legs into itself.  A big, orange fluffy one was on its back, arms and legs extended straight out as it laid across her lap.Her arms were wrapped ever so gently around what he assumed was a much younger striped one.This wasn’t the first time he’d seen the battle-hardened Commander take a back seat to Jane,But the look of pure, unadulterated joy she directed at the fluffy masses stirred up a tightness in his chest that certainly was new.Surely he wasn’t jealous of a domesticated Earth pet?He snapped a picture, unwilling to let the moment go. _

 

If only he’d have realized it then…but there were lots of dots in the early days that hadn’t connected until Alchera.Remembering Joker, he snapped out of it switching off the display. “Uh no doctor, thanks. I’m fine.”

“Sure?Might be worth getting your leg braced up properly before running to the hospital.According to Hackett, you have a starring role in Shepard’s advance directive.  You shouldn’t have a problem getting through security, though the rest of us won't be getting an invite.Sending you the coordinates now.”  

Garrus nodded to the invisible voice.He stood up taking care to favor his good leg.“No.I think I can manage.”A lot of the medbay had been badly damaged when the Normandy crash landed, preventing him from getting proper treatment.  Despite the doctor’s insistence on the cane, most of its time was spent collecting dust.A good leg binding was necessary if he was to be in his armor for an extended period of time.

“Well you could always pull out the stick if your leg needs any extra reinforcements.”Joker waited expectantly,“...what no smart ass comeback?”

Garrus glanced up to the viewing port out into the void, “I can’t even tell if I’m really here right now.  I-I’ll just have to owe you one.”

“And I’ll hold you to it.ETA2.5 hours to London. Pull it together, _Big Guy_ ,” the term of endearment delivered as a poor intimation of Shepard.“The crew is standing by for your orders.Joker out.”

With a sigh, Garrus walked over to her desk.He opened the drawer taking out the shiny nameplate that hadn’t found its place on the wall.What had once been a heavy point of contention with some of the crew (namely Kaidan), suddenly felt as light as paper in his hands.Without a second thought, he snapped the plate in half, letting it drop to the floor. 

“Never again,” he vowed to no one in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a really rough year. Reading these fanfics has been a great source of both distraction and comfort to me. I've had a few ideas floating around in my head for a while and finally decided to put them to paper (in a manner of speaking, anyway). I've never really written anything before, so please forgive any egregious grammatical errors, general poor form, or well, any other things that people who know what they're doing tend to avoid. I'll do my best to update regularly. Thanks for reading!


	2. Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back on Earth, Garrus finds Shepard at the hospital. He reminisces about their past between checking in with old friends.

Garrus’s omni-tool buzzed and chirped like mad.Apparently being within com buoy range meant receiving message bursts again.He reached over to pull up Joker’s coordinates when the most recent message caught his eye:

_From: Castis Vakarian_

_Subject: Safe_

He let out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. _Spirits, they’re alive._ His initial relief quickly turned to apprehension, but he decided to rip off the band-aid. _Oh wouldn’t dad be thrilled to know I think in human idioms now?_ He readied himself then opened the message. 

_Son, your sister and I are safe and on Earth.I was with Adrien when he received word that the Normandy had returned.He said the crew would be taken to Kingston Hospital once docked.I will be making my way there as soon as I can.We have some catching up to do. -C_

The last time he’d seen his father on Palaven, Garrus had been squarely focused on preparing for the reaper threat. He minimized his contact with his father, keeping things mostly professional when they did interact.The prospect of rebuilding their relationship was a little daunting, but the recent months had given him more prospective.Family was important, and he’d missed them dearly.It would of course mean having a conversation with his father about Shepard.A few years ago, the thought might have terrified him, but after everything he’d been through...His father would have to accept them if there was any chance of salvaging their strained relationship.At the very least, he knew he could get Sol onboard.Sure he would love to take Shep to the family home (if it still stood), show her his late mother’s garden (if it hadn’t been destroyed).But having Shepard by his side was more than enough.There were plenty of other worlds in the galaxy.Anyway, there wasn’t really much he could do about it for the time being.He had arrangements to make.

On Garrus’s request, Kaidan scheduled a shuttle to dock with the Normandy in order to take Doctor Chakwas and any crew needing medical attention directly to the hospital to avoid the fanfare of the Normandy’s arrival.With the relays still down, various species anxious to get home left tensions running high.Their leaders didn’t balk at the opportunity to exploit the arrival of the Normandy, that shiny beacon of galactic togetherness, for the positive effect it would have on morale.To prevent getting held up at the docks, Garrus would be on that shuttle leaving the Normandy in Kaidan’s capable hands.While it was well-known that Shepard considered Garrus her XO, both Kaidan and Garrus knew the spectre was technically in charge of the Alliance vessel.Of course Kaidan hadn't dreamt of undermining Shepard’s authority again, and since fleeing from Earth had deferred to Garrus.

Even as Garrus insisted on the transfer of power, Kaidan looked a little uneasy.  “Sure about this?I’d rather the hero of the galaxy’s first words to me not be a punch to the gut.”

Garrus chuffed, “She knows as well as I do this ship is as Alliance as you are.Besides, I doubt any physical therapy would include gut punches…well, not this early on at least.Just promise me you’ll give Joker a hard time, and we’re all good.”

“Deal.”Kaidan reached out to grasp Garrus’s forearm in a turian handshake.Garrus, surprised at the gesture but appreciative nonetheless, reciprocated.While the two had never been particularly close, they’d come to an understanding while Kaidan was stuck at Huerta Memorial during the initial invasion.

 

 

_Kaidan awakened to the sound of the glass door sliding open.The gynoid bot had done a number on him, but he was slowly regaining his strength._

_“You have a visitor, Major, if you’re up for it that is,” the nurse said poking her head in._

_Shepard?He’d always held something of a torch for her, but she had done nothing to indicate she felt the same way. Though he was still wary of her ties to Cerberus, his eyes lit up at the prospect of spending a little time with her._

_“Yeah, I think I can manage,” he smiled back at the nurse.She backed out, opening the door a little wider._

_Kaidan’s excitement quickly dissipated when the striking red-head he’d expected was replaced by a familiar turian dressed in cobalt blue, fixing him with a look that wasn’t exactly friendly._

_“How’re you feeling, Alenko?”  The name rolled off of Garrus’s tongue like he was trying to get a bad taste out of his mouth._

_“I’m…alive, so I guess I can’t complain too much. What brings you here, Garrus?”He kept his tone flat, neutral. He’d never quite gotten the hang of reading turian expressions, but in this case, he didn’t need to be an expert to know something was wrong._

_“Shepard mentioned she was coming by to see you later.I thought we might have a little chat first.” He shut the door behind him and took a few steps closer to the bed._

_Kaidan tried to play it cool as the turian stood over him.He swallowed hard, meeting his eyes, and decided to try to head off the situation, “Look, I care about her more than you know, but the Cerberus thing is hard for me to see past.I won’t apologize for the things I said. Trust has to be rebuilt.”_

_Garrus scoffed, “You should be on your knees thanking the spirits that she still wants anything to do with you.She saved thousands of lives no thanks to you or the Alliance.Blew up the collector base, told the illusive man to go fuck himself, and brought the Normandy back to the Alliance of her own accord then turned herself in.And still you doubt her?”_

_“It’s not that simple.I—I loved her.She died then showed up two years later with Cerberus - an organization that flew in the face of everything we once stood for.What was I supposed to do?  It may not have been the way I wanted things to go down, but I made the best call I could given the information I had at the time.”He looked down at his hands fidgeting slightly as Garrus started to pace the room, shaking his head._

_“You loved her?Sure have funny way of showing it.Poor little marine so worried about your precious reputation that you couldn’t be there when she needed you the most, the woman who risked everything to save your life no less.”He took a breath, running his hand over his crest trying to calm down.“Seeing her in my scope on Omega…one look into her eyes, and there was never any doubt.Easiest decision I ever made.I was there to pick up the pieces after Horizon, to watch her six around the Cerberus crew, to keep her from working herself to death.I was there after Bahak when she was nearly catatonic for days.I was there for the night terrors, the countless injuries, to take on as much of the burden as I could.”He threw his arms up in frustration, “She has the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders. And you’re still punishing her for what exactly?”_

_Brow furrowed, deep in contemplation, he sized up the turian.If Garrus was willing to join up with a radial human terrorist organization just to be there for Shepard, what did that say about him?He knew Garrus and Shepard had always been close, but what he was describing was personal, intimate.Kaidan had always been so focused on how she betrayed him, that he’d never stopped to think about what she must have gone through.He didn't have a leg to stand on._

_Garrus exhaled deeply.If Kaidan’s expression was anything to go by, he had made his point.Anyway, the man was still injured.  “Look Kaidan, you’re a fine soldier _—_ disciplined, principled, tough in a fight.She needs all the allies she can get.Later she’s going to ask you to join up with the crew.If I see you on that ship, I’m going to take that to mean you’re dropping the Cerberus bullshit once and for all and choosing to trust her.If that’s not something you can handle, then make up some excuse and let her be.”  _

_Kaidan glanced down having made his decision.This was bigger than him.A silent understanding passed between them._

_“She’s lucky to have you,” Kaidan said solemnly._

_His mandibles opened slightly into a thin smile.He extended his hand to Kaidan who grasped it in a firm, single shake._

_“Take care, Alenko.”Kaidan released his hand nodding slightly, his name sounding much more tasteful this time around._

_Garrus reached the door then turned back to him hesitantly, “And Major? I’d appreciate it if this conversation stayed between us.”_

_“Of course...and Vakarian?Thanks.”_

 

 

The second the shuttle landed, Garrus made a beeline for the door.He thought maybe he heard Chakwas calling out to him, but everything was just noise at this point. He had one goal, one mission.After two months of waiting, assuming the worst, hoping for the best, he was going to see Shepard.He flashed his credentials at the various security checkpoints and was there before he knew it.As he walked in her room, the curtain around the bed was mostly closed.Breath held, chest pounding he prepared himself before reaching for the curtain.

Garrus nearly jumped as a hand gripped his shoulder.He spun around to see an older gentleman with gray hair and a face full of soft lines. 

“Adviser Vakarian?I’m Dr. Winters, the Commander’s primary physician.I was told to be expecting you.”

“Garrus is just fine, doctor.What’s her status?”  If the doctor was at all put off by his being a turian, he didn't show it.

“When she initially came in, she barely had a pulse.Armor had to be surgically removed.Massive internal bleeding, 3rd degree burns, compound fractures, displacement of several vertebrae in her neck…If Miranda Lawson hadn’t shown up when she did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.  She disabled the implants, and it was like the Commander's system rebooted and stopped fighting against us.  Dr. Lawson has since repaired the implants, but they are currently operating at significantly reduced output to minimize the added stress to her system.  We’ve been slowly repairing her injuries in order of their severity and adjusting the implants accordingly. It’s been a long road and it’s not over, but we expect her to make a full recovery.”

He thanked the spirits turians didn’t have tear ducts and took a second for the lump in his throat to pass, “I…I was told she was still unconscious?”

“She regained consciousness for a brief period of time after the first several weeks, but with the extent of her injuries and the energy required for the cybernetics, Dr. Lawson recommended she be placed in a medically induced coma to give her body more time to heal and to keep her from suffering more than she already has.”

Garrus took a deep breath.“So what’s next?”

“We will begin prepping for her final surgery to remove the rods and pins placed in her right leg and hip and replacing them with bone weaves.It might seem a little barbaric, but at the time, the bones were basically shattered.Our supplies were extremely limited.It was our only chance to avoid amputation.”Garrus clenched his mandibles for a second, gritting his teeth.“We'll also be turning the remainder of her cybernetics back to their original settings which should speed up the remainder of the recovery.  After the surgery, we’ll be taking her off of the ventilator and waking her up slowly.Given the current medications in her system and her improved metabolic rates, aided by the cybernetics, we should expect her to regain consciousness within the next 8-12 hours.”

With this Dr. Winters smiled gently and removed his glasses to polish them with the corner of his lab coat.He placed them back on in time to see a question forming on Garrus’s face.“There isn’t much time before she gets prepped for surgery, but if would you like to-“

Before Dr. Winters could finish, Garrus unable to control himself threw his arms around the man, an awkward attempt at a hug, then offered a quick but sincere, “Thank you,” and turned back to the curtain.Dr. Winters chuckled slightly, but was a good sport about it.He left to give the two of them some privacy.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this.She looked so small.Left arm and shoulder wrapped tightly, fixed to her side.Seeing her right leg and hip held in place with a series of metal frameworks with pins and screws drilled into her flesh nearly made him vomit.A blanket was wrapped loosely over the other leg and pulled up to her chest.Left shoulder and upper arm full of soft, pink flesh, definitely healing but signs of significant burning.Her face was marred with a long, pink scar from her right temple vertically down her face that halted near the corner of her mouth.A slit through her left eyebrow left a small area without hair.He saw the tube placed in her mouth and followed it down, watchingher chest move up and down.The paleness in her cheeks was a stark contrast to the deep, red hair wrapped loosely around the top of her head in a messy bun.It broke his heart to see her like this, but she had clearly already made significant progress.

He took a seat next to her and gently held her left hand, stroking it ever so softly.

“Hey, Shepard.”He closed his eyes as he gently pressed his brow to hers.Underneath the antiseptic smell of hospital was something so distinctly her - sweet citrus mixed with a hint of gun oil.In the time he’d known her, she constantly changed the fragrances she wore, but somehow the trace of gun oil lingered.He had never really understood this particular quirk until after the suicide mission.

 

_Shepard called him up to her cabin to wait while she finished showering. She had a stiff drink waiting for him which he didn’t hesitate imbibe.As she stepped out of the bathroom, there was a battle for dominance over his facial expression between sheer joy at the sight of her and confusion as he struggled to place the new scent. She looked at him quizzically.He cleared his throat, smiling shyly and reached for her hand.“Sorry, I was just trying to figure out the new scent. Not that I don’t love a good mystery, but why the constant change?”_

_She stared into his eyes, gently wrapped her arms around his neck then slowly lifted herself, wrapping her legs around his waist, squeezing tightly.“Well, Garrus Vakarian, there’s a whole universe out there.Infinite possibilities.More to see, smell, taste, touch than you could experience in a million lifetimes.Life is too short, too ridiculous, and too unpredictable to try the same thing twice.”She looked away for a few seconds before smirking up at him to add, “Of course, there are always exceptions.” Before he even realized what was happening, she started giggling like a maniac and attempted to wrestle him down to the bed._

_“Exactly how much have you had to drink tonight, Shep?” Garrus teased before easily flipping them over and pinning her down.  This must've been somewhere between her 'waxing philosophical' and 'arm wrestling' stages of drunkenness._

_“More than I probably should’ve, but less than I wanted.”He released one of her hands opting to run his talons through her wet locks instead.She placed a hand on his scarred mandible then softly whispered “It’s blackberry vanilla.”He took a deep breath to commit the smell to memory. Blackberry vanilla…and gun oil, he thought to himself._

 

His eyes snapped open looking to identify the source of knocking on the door.Dr. Winters stuck his head in and pointed at the clock in the room apologetically, seemingly unfazed by the sight before him.Garrus slowly placed Shepard’s hand back under the covers, and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.“I’ll be back soon, Jane.Rest easy.”

Dr. Winters had some forms for Garrus to sign.He sent them off with his omni-tool then waited in the hallway as the team of doctors and nurses sealed off Shepard’s room.He watched helplessly through the window until a set of blinds swooshed from a series of thin parallel lines to an impenetrable wall of white.He looked around the hallway for a chair to call home for the next several hours.He really needed to get off of his leg for awhile.

Before he could find something suitable, his stomach made a loud, rumbly noise.Rations had been running low on the Normandy. _When was the last time he’d eaten?_ A pang of guilt washed over him at the thought of walking away after just finding her.On the other hand, the doctor had agreed to message him when the surgery was over.He reluctantly decided to try his luck in the hospital cafeteria. 

As he left the high security wing, the corridors started transitioning from one colored set of stripes to the next.He started noticing people staring at him but quickly diverting their eyes whenever he tried to meet theirs. Initially he didn’t think anything of it and was pleasantly surprised at the diverse staff that had stepped up to keep the hospital running smoothly.He tried smiling, nodding, pretending he didn’t notice, but the expressions that surrounded him sure looked a lot like embarrassment.As he walked past one of the nurses lounges, the sound of a local news station came into focus:

 

_“…alive and suffered only minor injuries.The first crewman to visit Commander Shepard was Garrus Vakarian, Adviser to the Turian Hierarchy.Sources report that Adviser Vakarian was seen intimately embracing the Commander.We at Westerlund News can now confirm this story with security camera footage obtained just moments ago…”_

 

Garrus stopped in his tracks. _Well, that certainly would explain it._ As the security cam footage started to play, the vid screen cut to white noise.His omni-tool indicated there was an incoming message from Liara.He moved to an empty room to give them some privacy.

“Well, sure didn’t take you long to get back to the grind,” he mused.

“I lived in the dark for two months…It didn’t suit me.” _A euphemism if he’d ever heard one._

Sympathetic eyes met with his, “I…I saw her hospital records.”

“It’s hard seeing her like that, but she’s the strongest person I’ve ever known.We just have to give it time… I don’t even know how to thank, Miranda.We owe her everything. That’s twice now.Any idea where she is?” 

“Just a second.”Liara looked away from the screen.He had no idea where she was, but it definitely wasn’t the Normandy. “Looks like she’s attending to some off world business, but the medical records indicate she has conference calls with the hospital at least twice a day, so she’s monitoring everything.”

“Thanks, Liara.That actually makes me feel a little better.I’m headed to the cafeteria if you’d like to join me.”He knew it was a long shot, but he didn’t really feel like being alone right now.He thought about calling Tali, but she had been ushered off to one of the quarian live ships.

“While I’d love to, I have some catching up to do.Establishing the broker networks from scratch is a tall order.Listen Garrus, I cut the video feed, but chances are there are already copies of copies.I’m not sure I can keep this news shut down with my current resources.”She deflated a little at not having the control to which she was accustomed.

“Liara, I appreciate the effort, but I’m done hiding.Shepard and I talked things over before the final push.It made sense back then not to let her personal life distract people from the mission, but we agreed that if there ever was an after, no more sacrifices to protect the delicate sensibilities of others.I think the savior of the galaxy can do as she damn well pleases.  Granted I wish it could've been on our own terms.” 

Liara felt a little relieved to hear this, but couldn’t help poking him a little bit.“Well, in the meantime, I assure you the worst kept secret in the history of the Normandy is safe with me.”

Garrus scoffed, “What?I thought we did pretty good for a while there?We kept it from most of the crew until the party at Shep’s apartment,” he stated smugly.He waited for her reply, but instead got a few seconds of silence followed by uproarious laughter.“D-Didn’t we?” he asked a little sheepishly.

“Oh Garrus. Heh, that’s sweet.You think coming down the elevator to breakfast 10 seconds apart every single day when your quarters are clearly on the other side of the ship was subtle?You really think EDI never said anything to Joker? And that he would keep this information all to himself?What about the various vid calls Shepard took in her quarters?Maybe you stayed out of the frame 80% of the time, but a reflection in the aquarium here, the sound of another omni-tool going off there, the turian style pillows that inexplicably made there way to her bed?I also seem to recall James passing around a video of a certain tango.Not very subtle.And if nothing else, anyone who ever watched the two of you spar left either flustered or traumatized!By the Goddess, even the betting pool has existed since the SR-1!Wrex could’ve bought his own ship with the winnings.”

A deep blue spread across his face, “Okay, so we miscalculated a little…a lot.At least it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Does your father know?”Even Liara seemed a little scared of the answer.

“Not that I know of.He’s actually heading to the hospital today.He won’t like the idea of me taking a human for a bondmate, but kicking me out of the clan or knocking me down a tiers would be extreme…even for him.If he gave her a chance, he’d probably like her more than me.”He tried to sound indifferent, but didn’t really pull it off.

“Bondmate?”Liara raised an eyebrow.

“I mean…uh…if she’ll have me.”He hadn’t realized he’d used the term. Perhaps he was getting a little ahead of himself.

“If she’ll have you?Where’s all that Vakarian swagger?You know damn well she’d say yes before you even finished asking the question.” Liara shook her head, highly amused at this little show of insecurity.

“Thanks for the pep talk.I should really grab something to eat.It was nice talking with you.”

“Try to stay out of trouble.Take care of her, Garrus.” She cut the feed.He ducked his head of the room.Seeing the hallway mostly clear, he headed to the cafeteria.

 

—

 

He was finishing up the first warm meal he’d had in two months when Solana called.He’d tried to make peace with her on Palaven, but he knew he still had a lot to make up for.He accepted the vid call.While Garrus had always taken after his father, Sol looked more like their mother - face plates a little more angular, with a grayish-brown hue and amber eyes.“Hey, Sol. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Still using a walking aid, but getting stronger everyday.Working at one of the Turian camps outside of town.Trying to salvage what we can of the tech they bring us.I was hoping to come visit you after my shift.How are you holding up?”As tough as past few years had been, she was happy to see him.When the first reports of the Normandy’s survival came him, she had nearly fainted.

“No worse for the wear.I have a cane myself, but I’m worried if I use it they’ll take away my street cred.You know how it is,” he smiled smugly. 

“You’re such a dork,” she said straight faced.“But, an unusually chipper dork.”She eyed him suspiciously.

“The last few months were tough.There’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel, and this time it’s probably not a death laser.”He was a little worried about where she might be going with this.

“Really?I thought it might have something to do with intimately embracing the hero of the galaxy.”He froze like one of those Earth mammals caught in the headlights of a low flying skycar.She smiled triumphantly, while her subvocals trilled with dominance. _Nowhere for you to hide now_ , _big brother_.

“I…,” he let out a deep breath. He knew they’d be on the call for hours if he didn’t lock this down. “Later we can sit down and have a conversation about everything, but for now, I’ll answer any three questions.”She lit up, subvocals trilling with excitement.As he prepared himself, he realized how much he’d missed her. Their relationship had always been so easy before sovereign came into his life.

“How long?” She asked earnestly.

“Officially?”he questioned.She nodded.

“Two years,” his eyes held firm, but subvocals betrayed his pride.

“Unofficially?”

He thought about it before answering, but the truth was that he had always felt…something. He just hadn’t been able to decipher it at first.She would probably tease him mercilessly, but after years of pushing her away, it was time to be honest.“It wasn’t until Alchera when the Normandy was destroyed that I finally realized it, but from my end its been pretty much since always.”

“The way you used to talk about her…I just thought you had a weird crush on your commanding officer.”She was never one to mince words.

“Well, I did.Lucky for me, it happened to be mutual.Unless she’s going for some sort of long con.We’ll just have to see.Okay that’s two.”

“Two?!” She glared at him.“You know damn well that was all part of the same initial question.” 

 _If looks could burn._ “Can’t blame me for trying.”A little too pleased with himself, he took a sip of his dextro coffee.“Hit me.”

“Have you always had a human fetish?”He did a spit take all over the table.

 _Oh Spirits_.“I don’t have a human fetish.Just her.Next question.”He was almost free.

“Tell me about the first time she told you she loved you,” she seemed a little embarrassed by her own question.He wasn’t expecting that, but it was practically her job to make him squirm.

“There were a lot of moments, but timing was never our strong suit.The first time I heard those exact words was after she evacuated Primarch Victus and me from Menae.We had to stop at the Citadel for repairs.Do you remember that spot on the Presidium high above the skycar traffic I used to talk about?”

“The one you always swore you were going to visit, but were always too scared to follow through on?” She said teasingly.

“That’d be the one.I brought her up there once. We had a picnic and then a shooting contest.Throwing bottles as far as we could and taking turns knocking them down.We both liked to talk a big game, but I needed to see once and for all who could really make their gun dance.I won which naturally resulted in her profession of love.”He smiled widely then got a little more sentimental, softly adding, “Promises were made.” He pushed the lump that was forming in his throat back down.

“She let you win on purpose,” Sol snapped back without missing a beat.“I mean it’s a sweet story, but it’s Commander Shepard…She totally let you win on purpose.”

“What? No way.We both know I’m just THAT good.” _She wouldn’t do that, would she?_

“You believe what you want to believe my naive, older brother.”Her expression was begging for him to push her.He didn’t take the bait.

“She’s in surgery right now.They’re going to try waking her up later today.”His subvocals hummed with contentment before adding, “You’ll like her, Sol.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see about that won’t we. So, what about dad?”

“What ABOUT dad?” he echoed.

“I’m assuming he doesn’t know about this unless he’s seen the reports.Granted, I don’t think Westerlund News is his primary news source.Better hope he doesn’t have an alert set up on your name.”She tried to imagine how her father would react, but it was really a toss up.

“As far as I know, he’s none the wiser.I’m gonna have to tell him.”He looked up at her seeking any wisdom she might want to impart.After all, she had always been much closer to their father.“Any advice?”

“You saw it when you met with him on Palaven, right?He’s changed.Ever since mom passed.”A low hum of grief poured out of her.“I know he wasn’t always the easiest father.A lot of that is his fault, but you have to admit you’ve been pretty selfish over the years, too.He was watching his wife die, never knowing if his son was safe while you were galavanting all over the galaxy with a spectre, the symbol of everything he spent his career fighting against.”She fixed him with an uncompromising glare, “You can’t run out on us again. Things have to be different.”

He resisted the urge to argue a few of those points.She was right, mostly.He had to be better than that now.“You’re my sister, and I promise from now on I will always be there for you.But if dad won’t accept us, I can’t say the same about him.”

“He might surprise you.Listen, I have to get back to work, but I’ll be there as soon as I can be.It’s good to see your ugly face again.”Her face plates pulled back revealing a big grin.She was his sister after all, had to get in that one last jab.

“Thanks, Sol.You’re a better sister than I deserve.”

“I guess you’ll just have to make it up to me.” She waved then disconnected the line.

He threw away his trash and walked back over to Shepard’s room.Everything was still closed off, so he found the closest chair, pulled it across from the window to her room, and shut his eyes for a little while.

 

—

 

Garrus awoke to the sound of the doctor exiting Shepard’s room.

“Mr. Vakarian, you’ve been out for quite a while.”Dr. Winters smiled down at him.Surgery went well.She’s breathing on her own.Most recent blood test showed the sedatives in her system have been breaking down a little faster than we anticipated.We expect her to be up pretty soon.Her throat will be quite sore from the intubation tube.It may take about a week for her voice to be fully restored, but she should be able to softly whisper.You’re welcome to go in.Pager button is on the bed if you need anything.”

“There are a lot of people who are going to buy you a lot of drinks one day pretty soon.I can’t thank you enough.”Garrus stood slowly, but almost fell over.The doctor gripped his arm to steady him.Since the injury, he had to slowly apply pressure to his leg after sitting for long periods of time or it gave out. He would remember that eventually.

Dr. Winters stared down at Garrus’s right leg disapprovingly.“How’s she going to feel when she finds out you’re still injured?You should really get that looked at.”He could sense the turian’s unwillingness to cooperate as his mandibles pulled tightly inward. 

“I’ll tell you what, you go in there, and I’ll send in my colleague to take a look.You won’t even have to leave.” 

Garrus tried to find a reason to resist, but came up with nothing.“You win, doc.I’ll be here.”He moved into the room, shut the door neglecting to close the blinds, and took a seat next to the bed.Her legs were tucked comfortably under the sheets, but her right leg appeared to be fitted with a brace of some sort.He was no longer dating a human pincushion. The sight of her chest was rising and falling steadily, unassisted made him feel a little better.He slid his hand under the sheet to meet hers and squeezed gently.

 

_Garrus woke up the morning after the party to find a Shepard-sized void next to him in the mattress. As he got up and stretched, a soft melody drifted into the room. He made his way down the hall careful to avoid disturbing the sleeping crew members.He stepped out onto the balcony, stopping in his tracks.Shepard sat at the keyed instrument.He’d seen them before, but had never actually observed someone playing.The artificial sun shown through the window illuminating her in a soft, warm light.Her eyes were closed, long hair loose around her face, head bobbing and swaying in sync with the music. It was unlike anything he’d ever heard.Haunting, beautiful, inspiring, heartbreaking. As the melody grew more complex, her fingers danced over the keys with the same expert precision she normally reserved for the battlefield.She was a vision.When the music reached an emotional swell, he made his way downstairs to be closer to her.As he approached the piano, the simple melody that initially drew him out came back around. The last notes ascended into a final chord that rang through to his soul, filling him with a deep sense of hope.Not just hope for survival, but for the future they’d dreamed of, those infinite possibilities._

_Shepard turned her head looking up at him but stopped just shy of making eye contact, her cheeks blushing slightly.He wondered how she could possibly be embarrassed by that performance._

_“Clair de Lune,” she said tenderly.“My dad used to play it when I was little.There was always something about it I couldn’t put my finger on.It’s like the notes spelled out some great, hidden truth I didn’t quite understand.I know that might sound a little stupid I mean it’s just a song, but after he died, it stuck with me.I swore to myself I’d learn how to play.”_

_“Jane, that was…” His subvocals were jumping all over the place as searched for the right words.“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”He resisted the urge to drop down to his knees proclaiming his devotion.“After we finish up all this reaper business, maybe we could settle down and figure it out together.”_

_She smiled up at him looking a little less self-conscious, scooted over on the bench, and patted the space next to her.“Sounds perfect.”_

_He took a seat and studied the piano.“So that’s why humans have 10 fingers.”She laughed heartily, elbowing his side gently._

_“I can think of a few other reasons,” she smirked up at him suggestively, “…but for right now, let’s play something together.”Before he could respond, she wrapped her hand around his, and moved it to the keys.“I’ll show you your part.Once you have it down, I”ll switch over to mine.”He pressed his forehead tenderly to hers then pulled away to wrap his free arm around her lower back.She scooted a little closer.“This one’s called Heart and Soul.”She squeezed his hand gently, and like always, he followed her lead._

 

He loosened his grip on her hand and felt an almost imperceptible squeeze back.His eyes darted up to find hazel eyes and a knowing smile staring back at him.His heart raced and mandibles flared so wide it almost hurt.As he reached up to caress her cheek, a warm, five-fingered hand settled on his scared mandible.She started to brace herself as if to sit up, but he placed a hand on a her shoulder to restrain her, “Take it easy.You’re not quite there yet.”Her face tensed up as she swallowed.“They just took the intubation tube out.Doc said you could try to whisper, but not to push it if the pain was too bad.Should be okay within the next week.”She gestured at the water sitting on the table next to her.He brought it to her lips.She carefully swallowed a few sips, wincing slightly.

She nodded then very carefully whispered, “The crew?”She braced herself for the answer.

He didn’t want to upset her, but couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. “Everyone is safe except…EDI didn’t make it. I’m sorry, Shep.” His subvocals reflected the grief in his voice.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t seem surprised.She looked almost guilty.“And the geth?…had to make a choice…” The strain on her throat was too much.She coughed, pain flooded her features.

He didn’t follow her exactly, but right now, none of it mattered.“Jane, there will be time for all that later.Please, don’t push it.” She nodded slowly, eyes downcast.“You need your rest.Promise me you’ll take at least a day.No news, no reporting to Alliance HQ, no stress.Then we can figure it all out together.”

He brought his forehead to hers.Tears flowed silently down her cheeks.He wiped them gently.“Be here with me.”

“Always,” she whispered so softly he barely caught it.They sat there holding on to each other as the world moved on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little longer. Thanks again for reading!


	3. Common Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castis Vakarian and Hannah Shepard go to the hospital intending to see their kids, but things don't turn out as expected.

Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard arrived at the hospital shortly after receiving word her daughter was awake.She couldn’t believe it.After months of waiting, one-sided conversations, she was finally going to see those bright eyes staring back at her.She made a silent vow that things would be different from now on as she brushed past security, approaching the room.Seeing the door shut, she moved toward the window to scope things out before letting herself in.What started as a quick glance turned into a double take as her eyes landed on her daughter brow to brow with a familiar looking turian, their hands tightly wrapped around each other.Her hands clasped over her mouth attempting to mask the loud gasp that escaped her lips. She was thankful for the thin pane of glass that separated them.

She took a deep, calming breath trying to access the situation.There was no doubt about it - the look in their eyes spoke volumes.As she studied their embrace, it really struck her how easily they seemed to fit together.Then again, her daughter did have a way of bending the world to her will. _Square peg and round hole be damned._ The thought filled her with anxiety rather than solace. _You’re doing it again, Hannah.Forget the turian.Focus._ Her daughter was alive.She’d been given a second chance to be a real presence in Jane’s life, to make up for the past. She willed her legs to move toward the door, for her hand to grasp the handle and turn it, but she froze, unable to pull her eyes away. _What would I even say to them?_  

Castis Vakarian had a lot on his mind as he made his way around the hospital.The guard had simply glanced at his ID then waved him through, directing him straight to Room 137 - a pretty clear indication that Garrus had alerted the staff of his intention to visit.It was a good omen.They had never really gotten the chance to hash through their issues while Garrus was on Palaven.Sure the surface was scratched a few times, but there had always been more pressing things to worry about.Maybe they hadn’t smoothed things over per se, but there had been a faint, underlying sense of mutual respect growing that wasn’t there before.He knew Verra would say it wasn’t enough, merely a temporary compression wrapping.But they both made it out alive.He would make sure things were different this time around.

The truth was that she had never been particularly fond of turians, living through the Relay 314 incident will do that to a person, but she had never considered herself a bigot.Her line of work occasionally involved diplomatic missions with other species that usually resulted in fairly amicable relationships.But she remained guarded, and few of those relationships ever went beyond the typical pleasantries.Seeing her daughter looking at a turian _that_ way stirred up something inside of her she wasn’t proud of.It was a harsh reminder that if her daughter had turned out anything like her, none of them would be standing here today - a sobering thought.She had missed out on a lot when Jane was younger.For the first time, she started to wonder if maybe it had been for the best.

As she stood there frozen with indecision, the reflection of a tall, armored turian with blue facial markings appeared beside her.While her attention remained mostly focused on the couple, she couldn’t help but notice how his expression seemed to mirror hers.Shock, disapproval, love, confusion all rolled into one perfectly messy package. _He hadn’t known._ It was a small comfort.

_Of course his son was in love with the spectre!_ He wondered how to go about returning all his commendations for being one of the Citadel’s finest detectives.He pulled his mandibles in tightly, trying to regain his composure.

“Our kids saved the world,” she offered hesitantly, testing the waters.He was caught a little off guard by the comment and turned ever so slightly toward the woman he hadn’t yet acknowledged.She was dressed in crisp, decorated Alliance blues with her dark, red hair pulled back into a tight braid.He could tell she was fighting to keep her feelings in check, but green, emotive eyes betrayed her.He looked to the commander, then back to the rear admiral.The resemblance was uncanny.He’d never officially met her before, but he’d come across her file when looking into the human spectre.Their contents escaped him at the moment.He made a note to look into it again.

As he usually did when faced with some kind of crisis, Castis Vakarian tried to take stock of the facts of the situation then lay out his position accordingly.To get the obvious one out of the way, Garrus was involved with his _human_ commander.Humans…sure there were a few humans out there that weren’t so bad.Some he might even consider acquaintances, but by and large they were stubborn, impatient, power hungry, and entitled…at least that’s what he used to think, but now he wasn’t so sure. Still, the thought of his son potentially bonded with a human didn’t sit very well with him.He was trying to work out why that was exactly when the woman continued. 

“I know people look at her and see the Survivor of Mindoir, Hero of the Skyllan Blitz, the First Human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel,” she said with mock vibrato.“But I can’t help but see the girl who cheered up the young kids on the SSV Einstein by juggling things with her biotics…the girl who was only interested in toys to the extent that they provided her with new electronic components to play with… the girl who wiped my tears when my husband was killed telling me that we had to go on because ‘that’s what daddy would’ve wanted.’” 

His expression softened at her unexpected openness.“I mean, what kind of a kid says things like that?” she said a little incredulously.She released a deep breath, her eyebrows tight and angular.“Even then she was strong, fiercely loyal, compassionate.A precocious teenager who had endured more hardship in her short existence than most people experienced in a lifetime. And she still somehow managed to avoid inheriting my cynicism…bitterness.”She gestured at the couple, “This shouldn’t surprise me…but it does.”She shook her head, wishing Alex was still here.He would already be in that room, arms wrapped around both of them.He always made everything so easy.

 

 

_“Honey, you trust these people with your life.You’re just going to have to tell them. So you’ll have to take light duty for a while.They can’t discharge you.These things happen.”Alex smiled fondly through the vid call at the woman he intended to marry. Hannah had always been one to overanalyze any given situation to death. When her brow started to furrow and her hands started to fidget, he was always quick to pull her back in._

_“They think I don’t hear, but you know how rumors spread across a starship.I’m not even that big yet, how could they possibly know already?!”Recently promoted 1st Lieutenant Hannah Shepard threw her hands up In frustration.She had worked really hard to get where she was and was terrified her pregnancy would somehow take that away from her - not to say she wasn’t excited about the prospect of motherhood.Their relationship was fairly new, but there was something about that charming agricultural engineer.They just fit.Distance or not, it was going to work._

_“Think of it this way, she’s not even here yet, and our little Scuttlebutt is already making waves.Imagine what she’s going to accomplish outside of your uterus.”_

_Hannah glanced down, rubbing her belly.She tried to fight the soft smile that crept up her face, but eventually gave in.Despite her initial objections, the nickname had stuck. “You’re right.Probably better to get ahead of it anyway.I’ll speak to the Captain.”She took a deep breath and continued, “You know I love you right?”_

_“I AM pretty lovable,”he smirked up at her, eyes returning her affections. She shook her head.He was incorrigible._

_“Okay here I go.I can do this…”His heart beat a little faster as she threw on her resolve face.Pregnant or not, he knew this woman could accomplish anything she set her mind to. He figured her shipmates and superiors shared the sentiment._

_“It’s going to be fine.You’ll see.Don’t always expect the worst.Give people a little more credit than that.”She rolled her eyes a little, eliciting a soft chuckle from him.This was a familiar song and dance…one she didn’t have time to indulge in right now._

_“Take care, buddy.”She blew a quick kiss at the screen before ending the call.One more month and she would be spending two glorious weeks with him back on Mindoir.He couldn’t wait._

—

She paused for a few seconds before slowly turning her head to make eye contact with the Elder Vakarian. Regret.It came off of her in waves.He held her gaze, silently encouraging her to continue. “I know we’re supposed to be past this. Turian. Human.”She pointed between the two of them. “It shouldn’t matter anymore.But it’s hard to switch off over 30 years of programming.Things aren’t as simple as they used to be.” Her hands moved into an exaggerated shrug. “Everything they’ve achieved in spite of people like me.I should’ve been better.She deserved better.” Having said her peace, she cast her eyes down to the floor.

What was he supposed to say to that?She just laid out her deepest insecurities to a complete stranger.In any other situation he would’ve been appalled by that sort of behavior.But some of what she said hit so close to home.He thought he was going to be alone in this. Now there was someone else who could understand his perspective at least on some level anyway.There was a lot that he could say.Normally he would have given it some thought, chosen his words carefully, but before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “Did you know?” 

“Not for sure until I saw this,” she gestured to the window. 

He nodded. They stood in silence for a few minutes.

“As much as I want to speak with my daughter, I’m not ready to walk into that room yet…and judging by the look on your face, you aren’t either. I know this is a little odd, but would you want to maybe grab a drink, commiserate a little?”

Whatever he was expecting her to say, that wasn’t it.He considered her offer as another thought occurred to him, “I’m surprised they haven’t noticed us yet.”

She tilted her head towards the window, “One way glass. This part of the hospital used to be a psychiatric ward, but it was converted into a high security critical care wing when the reapers fell.Only a handful of people have access.Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure you weren’t on that list last time I checked.” She smiled tightly, but eyed him critically, clearly waiting for an explanation.

“Well I was planning on calling in a favor from the primarch if I couldn’t get a hold of Garrus, but while I was waiting, the guard out front waved me through.At the time I figured Garrus must have let them know I was coming, but clearly that’s not the case.Guard must have thought I was my son.”He braced himself, not knowing her well enough to predict her reaction.

“Oh really,” she said with a slight grimace not directed at him.Before he could reply, she turned on her heels and marched down the hall, a woman on a mission.He stood there for a second, before deciding to follow along. _This could be interesting._

She marched up to the first guard post.A young, brown-haired man who looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties stood at the post scrolling through a datapad.“Corporal? A word, please,” she requested in a voice more composed than what he had anticipated.Castis stood several meters away.He leaned against the wall, slowly crossing his arms.

The corporal placed the datapad down and stood at attention. “Yes, Rear Admiral.What can I do for you, sir?” _Oh the poor unsuspecting fool_.

“What are your duties here?” she asked somewhat casually.

“Secure the access point.Check identification against the preauthorized list before allowing entry.Locking down and guarding all patients in this wing should we come under fire, sir,”he replied almost robotically while looking up, careful to avoid eye contact.

She nodded in the affirmative, urging him to continue, “And do you know who happens to be in this wing?”

“Yes, sir.Commander Shepard, sir,” he was starting to look a little uncomfortable, not sure where she was going with this.

“Two for two so far.Let’s try another…”She pointed behind her at the turian leaning against the wall, but her eyes never left the corporal.Castis straightened up a bit.He liked to think of himself as being fairly stealthy, but the admiral clearly had him marked.“Do you recognize this man, Corporal?”His eyes darted to the Vakarian.He started to answer, then paused a moment… _this felt like a trap_. 

“Garrus Vakarian, ma’am.He’s a member of Shepard’s squad.Just arrived back with the Normandy.”She nodded her head and looked down as if in deep thought.

The guard was looking at him with an almost reverence.Castis felt a sense a pride being on the receiving end of that look.His son had come a long way from the disgruntled C-Sec officer he’d once known.

Her eyes darted back to his, “What would you say, if I were to tell you that this is not, in fact, Garrus Vakarian?”

“But, I saw him earlier ma’am, blue armor, blue facial markings…Vakarian.”He desperately searched her face, not sure what else to say.

“So you’re saying all turians look alike?” Her voice took on a skeptical, accusatory tone.

“No. Of course not!”He pleaded with her, looking at the turian, beckoning him to step in.She moved to the side of the marine inching closer, invading his personal space.Castis now stood to her right, on the periphery of her field of vision. She placed a hand ever so gently on the guard’s shoulder.He moved to face her.

“I’m gonna level with you, son.Unless you’ve studied up on the nuances of turian physiology, it is true that to most humans, all turians look very similar…ignorance, I can work with.It also seems to me like you only looked at his ID to the extent that you saw the name “Vakarian” and decided to skip the rest.How many Vakarians are running around out there?”She turned to Castis, “Help me out here.”

“Pre-reaper numbers? Roughly 200,” he said flatly.

“Hundreds.There hasn’t been any action in here, so you get complacent.A gross procedural violation, but even that I can understand.Or maybe with the world in chaos, there are a million things going through your head that you can’t deal with from inside this corridor…distracted? I can work with that.”  She patted him on the shoulder then picked a piece of lint off of his sleeve.She smiled gently before retracting her hand to meet the other already set behind her back.She inched ever so much closer to the marine.

“What I don’t understand, is how you could possibly confuse him for a turian that has half his bloody FACE BLOWN OFF!” She had barely raised her voice, but the furrow in her brow and grit in her teeth were so intense, Castis half expected her take the marine down.

“I…I guess I didn’t take a good look at his face.We’ve been pulling triple shifts this week.I’ve been posted here for 24 hrs straight.My replacement didn’t show.”He paused then let out a big sigh, regrouping himself.“No…I shouldn’t make excuses.She deserves better, ma’am.”He hung his head down, clearly ashamed. She flinched a little as he echoed her earlier words.

Returning to her even tone, “Who’s your superior?”

He raised his head back up to proper attention, “Lieutenant Whitmore, sir.”

In her best ‘I’m not mad I’m disappointed’ impression, she continued, “I’ll have a word with Lt. Whitmore about proper resource management.Expect your replacement shortly.And for the love of God, properly check his credentials before passing the baton.Next time I see you, I want to know how many tiles are on the ceiling.I want to know how many people are currently in the wing of this hospital and any irregular patterns to their movements.I want a recitation of emergency evacuation procedures for every possible scenario, and a passing familiarity with the distinguishing characteristics between individuals of every species: turians, asari, even the bloody hanar!Is that something you can do for me, Corporal??”

He met her eyes, “Yes, sir!I won’t let you down again, sir.”

“I’m sure you won’t. Because if you do, expect a dishonorable discharge and the hellfire of an overprotective mother to rain down on you so help me, Corporal.”She paused, straightening out her already perfectly straight uniform.“That’ll be all.”With that she turned on her heel and walked away, the severity in her expression replaced with a calm satisfaction.Castis watched the corporal left out a huge breath he’d been holding. He turned and followed after her.

“You know, he’d get a formal condemnation on his record if he were in the hierarchy.Probably even demoted.You really trust him to watch over her?” Castis looked at her as if this was some sort of test.

“Sure, I could do that.But I’d trust him over anyone else they might send over.Who would risk making the same mistake twice after that fiasco?I thought he was going to piss himself.He’ll be twice as vigilant the next time and better rested.Plus with all the tech security features in this wing, if anyone not on that list tried to access anywhere other than the hallway, they’d be automatically detained by the drones before anything serious could happen,” she looked into his eyes trying to gauge his reaction. 

He scoffed, “Fair point.” 

“Guess we should probably add you to that list.” His son was clearly injured, too.It wouldn’t have beenright to keep them apart.

“My daughter, too, if you don’t have any objections.”She had seemed reasonable enough so far.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” A faint smile graced her lips.

He glanced over at the window, but the angle made it impossible to see the couple.After a few seconds of silent contemplation, he turned back to the rear admiral, “So, about that drink?”


	4. The Normandy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus finally gets his leg checked out. Hannah and Castis get that drink.

A quick knock brought their attention to the door.A salarian with dark green coloring and a sharp, white lab coat entered, carefully shutting the door behind him.

“Commander. Adviser,” he turned to them bowing his head slightly.“Dr. Cadro Telon. Saw parents leave. Figured now best time to examine injured leg. Remove armor. Take this.”A hospital gown appeared in front of Garrus seemingly out of nowhere obstructing his view of the doctor.

Out of the coroner of his eye, he watched Shepard stiffen as she gaped in his direction.His brain finally caught up, his mandibles pulling back in shock. Garrus snagged the hospital gown out of the disembodied hand in front of him revealing the salarian. He managed to utter a quick, “Wait…you said _parents_?”

“Yes, Castis Vakarian. Hannah Shepard,” Dr. Telon responded without looking up as he typed hastily into his omnitool.

“Outside of this room?” Shepard pointed to the door for clarification. Garrus threw a quick nod of approval at Shepard’s question before turning back to the doctor.

“Yes.Left together.”He exhaled rather pointedly then continued, “Can’t examine leg with armor on. Very busy.” He tapped his foot impatiently a habit most likely picked up from his time stuck on Earth.

“Together?” they cried out in unison.Noticing Dr. Telon looking daggers at him, Garrus recovered enough to start tossing off pieces of his armor as ordered.

“Yes…here for leg not personal matters.”The doctor was still preoccupied with the orange display at his wrist, completely unaware of the bomb he’d dropped. 

As Garrus fastened the gown, Shepard finally got a good look at his leg.It was riddled with scar tissue and obviously swollen.Garrus read the concern on her face.HIs subvocals hummed soothingly.

“It’s nothing, Jane.” He fixed his mandibles in a reassuring smile while the doctor performed a quick scan.

“Not nothing.Shaft fracture below joint improperly healed.Swelling getting worse.Will cut off blood flow if not corrected.Need sample.”Before Garrus realized what was happening, he felt a very a sharp pain on his forearm that quickly dissipated.Dr. Telon pocketed the sample then placed a call, “Clear schedule for next 2 hours.Prep Vakarian for surgery.Rm 137…”

As the salarian continued to instruct whoever was on the other end of his call, Shepard turned to Garrus.“Nothing, huh?” she mouthed softly shaking her head, her eyebrows wrinkled with worry.She reached for his hand.Realizing the doctor had stopped speaking, she added with a breathy whisper, “He’ll be okay?” 

“Time sensitive, but straightforward, out patient procedure. Steroids to reduce swelling. Shave down rough edges of bone.Reinforce with bone weave.Will have to stay off leg for day or two, but can move around with walking aid.”He turned to Garrus and squinted his eyes slightly in to an almost smirk that reminded him a little of Mordin.“Hear the Commander won’t be too far behind you.”

She looked over at Garrus, raising her eyebrow as if to challenge him.She was impossible, and he loved it.

“Nurse will call to take you to surgery.”With that, Dr. Telon stepped out before either of them could give their thanks.They sat hands still intertwined absorbing the information that had just been dumped on them.

“So our parents came all the way here, and didn’t come in to see us.”She was going for matter of fact, but what came out sounded a little more confused, dejected.It broke his heart a little.

“Maybe that’s a good thing?”The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.“Okay, so imagine you’re my father, paragon of the hierarchy, decorated C-Sec detective going to visit your not exactly model turian of a son at the hospital.You arrive to find said son nuzzling a big, bad a _human_ spectre…what would you do?”He watched her try to work it out, her nose tightly crinkled in concentration.He’d missed that face.

“Okay, imagine you’re Rear Admiral Shepard, Shanxi veteran.You get word that your daughter is finally conscious, and you run to the hospital.You and your daughter haven’t had the closest relationship, but with the reapers out of the way, the door is still open.”She paused to give her throat a break then took a sip of water before continuing, “You finally get to her hospital room to find her brow-deep with a turian she listed as her medical decision maker before you, her own mother.What would you do?” She glanced over at him as she contemplated their respective scenarios.

He tilted his head slightly bringing his free hand to the bottom of his mandible in what she referred to as his _thinking face_.“I imagine they were confused…maybe even a little hurt?”She nodded in agreement.

“They didn’t run in here yelling.Probably trying to avoid saying anything they’d regret…or they’re just too proper to yell in mixed company.”Content that her reasoning was sound, she waited for his take on it.

“True.I’m sure they recognized each other.We both take after them.”

“Yeah like looking through some platonic funhouse mirror.”He quirked up a brow plate while waiting for her to explain herself. “It’s like…never mind — not important.Anyway, they could’ve started talking.Maybe they’re coming up with some sort of game plan?”

“Yeah…could be,” his said, his voice inclining slightly as he grew more confident in his words. _Father loved his plans alright._ “Or maybe they’re waiting to tackle us one on one?Reduce the potential awkwardness.” 

“Sounds like something my mom would do.” Shepard then brought her hand up to gently massage her throat, the soreness exacerbated by the extra talking.

“All good possibilities, but I think we’re missing the obvious one.”His voice grew very serious.“They were so happy for us that they decided to run out and celebrate.”Shepard burst out into laughter the corner of her eyes tightening slightly at the pain it caused. _Worth it._

His mandibles pulled back revealing a toothy grin.He brought his free hand up to rub the back of his neck, head turned to the side.“I’m a little relieved actually.Now I don’t have to figure out the best way to let the cat out of the bag.”

She smiled approvingly at his use of the idiom.“Me too.”

“I was going to save this for later, but apparently Westerlund News has been reporting that we’re involved, so I suppose it was bound to happen anyway,” he braced himself a little.

“Well okay then…no more hiding,” she reached for his hand. His face brightened up a little relieved that she still felt the same way.“Do you think they’ll come around?”She was trying to stay optimistic but knew all too well that her stubbornness hadn’t been inherited from her dad.

Garrus couldn’t help but chortle softly.Shepard looked him up and down not picking up on the joke.“Sorry, it’s just…you’re Commander Shepard.”He made quite a production of shoving the chair back, standing up, and clearing his throat all in one swift, exaggerated motion.She prepared herself. _Here he goes again…_  

“You convinced an indoctrinated rogue spectre to kill himself, persuaded the primarch to go along with curing the genophage, made the rachni our allies, and won over a crew of human supremacists so completely that they willingly palled around with other species.”He brought a hand to rest on his mandible looking up as if to ask a question, “Oh and there was that other thing I always forget about…Hmmm.Let’s see..what was it again?”He gestured over to her, “ Help me out here Shepard…” 

She shook her head, bringing her palm to her face.He was committed to the bit.She was helpless.

“Oh wait! Now I remember.It was something about saving the entire galaxy from impending doom, am I right?”She slid her palm around to her cheek, leaning in to it for support. 

His mandibles pulled in tighter and brought a hand to his chest as he focused all his attention on her.His voice shifted to something deep, confident, and smooth like a high-grit sandpaper.“And I…well, I’m Garrus Vakarian. Codename: Archangel. All-around turian bad boy and dispenser of justice in an unjust galaxy.”He paused a second altering the old script slightly, “…who until recently killed reapers on the side.”She bit her bottom lip slightly. _He was the total package._

“You coming around to a point anytime soon, _Archangel_?” she questioned keeping her voice as playful as she could muster.

“My point, _Battlemaster_ , is that if anyone can win them over it’s us.”He bowed slightly then settled back down into the chair at her side taking her hand again. It had become something of a running bit on the Normandy that if you saw someone in poor spirits you tried to cheer them up with a poorly imitated _shep talk._ The bigger the production the better. 

“And if we can’t?” She met his eyes with uncertainty.

He held her gaze for a second before replying with absolute conviction, “Then you’re all the family I need.” 

She brought his hand to the side of her face, leaning into it, savoring his warmth. “I love you, you know?” 

“Can’t say I blame you with that list of qualifications under my belt.” He tried to pass it off with his usually smugness, but his subharmonics hummed with something between gratitude and humility.

“I wish you could’ve met my father,” she said quietly looking downward.

She hadn’t spoken of him more than the odd mention or two over the years.Of course he knew about Mindoir just as everyone else did, but it was a topic she actively avoided.He hoped one day she’d let him in to that part of her life, but he could be patient. “How do you think that would’ve gone?” He stroked her cheek gently, urging her to continue.

Shepard didn’t even stop to think about it before answering, “Dad always put everyone’s needs above his own and was happy to do it. It’s like he never really made friends, just accrued more family.As far as I could tell, everyone loved him, and he loved everyone.”She smiled fondly if not a little sadly.“If he had seen us through that window, he would’ve strolled in grinning like an idiot then wrapped an arm around your back welcoming you to the family…granted he probably would’ve made you endure some of his terrible jokes first.Then of course there would’ve been the stories about all the embarrassing things I did as a little kid.” 

She thought about it a little more before adding, “Honestly, I probably would’ve told him about you from the beginning.Though you probably would’ve regretted it with all the terrible extranet memes he’d have blown up your inbox with.” She missed him everyday.

Garrus watched her carefully before tipping her chin up to meet his eyes, “He sounds a lot like someone I know.” 

She started to respond, but was instead met with a lump in her throat.She took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly.Garrus brought his brow to hers, “I would’ve been honored to meet him.”She nodded against his brow as he continued, “They say we live on through the stories told by our loved ones.I don’t want to push, but if you ever wanted to tell me more about him-”

“-I…I do…I mean I will…soon,” she interrupted. 

His subvocals thrummed with grief as he added, “I never really told you much about my mother.Maybe I could tell you about her, too?”

Shepard kissed his scarred mandible, the tightness in her chest slowly melting away, “I’d like that.”

 

—

 

Hannah Shepard and Castis Vakarian walked to a small gastropub around the corner from the hospital that served both levo and dextro customers.Never one to waste any time, she worked as they walked shooting off a few sternly worded messages to Lt. Whitmore, setting up a vidcom meeting with him for first thing in the morning.Judging by his immediate response, he knew he was topping her shit list.Hannah occasionally glanced over to Castis intending to apologize for her preoccupation, but he seemed just as engrossed in his omni-tool as she was.She wondered what his responsibilities had been down on Earth.Maybe he’d been on early retirement before the war, but she knew well enough that if the hierarchy was anything like the alliance, he’d be back in the thick of it.

The gastropub was “Italian” themed complete with old crooner music, red and white checkered tablecloths, and family pictures lining the walls.Castis raised a brow at her a bit skeptically as they entered.She wondered what restaurants were like on Palaven as he led them to a table in the back corner next to the emergency exit with a clear view of the front door.She snickered to herself.He cast a judging glance in her direction awaiting an explanation. 

“Once a cop, always a cop,” she teased, shaking her head slightly.

“Well, as the humans say, old habits die hard?” 

A faint smile graced her lips. “That they do.”

The brightly colored specials board promoted a new drink called _The Normandy_ in honor of the crew’s safe return. “Available in both levo and dextro varieties,” it read.

She called his attention to the sign, “Now, what do you suppose is in that thing?”

Castis thought for a few seconds before offering, “If I had to wager a guess, I’d say it’s a mix of the cheapest levo or dextro liquors they have available with a splash of some sharp tasting human or turian fruit juice to mask the terrible aftertaste.Served over ice, once again, to mask the terrible aftertaste.”

Hannah chuckled ever so slightly at what she assumed was either a very dry attempt at humor or a well thought out deduction.“Sounds about right — now, we have to try it.”She raised a hand then pointed at the board, throwing up two fingers.The bartender smiled and nodded, clearly recognizing her.This was going better than she had expected so far and the alcohol wasn’t even here yet.

As he sat at the table with the mother of his son’s mate?/girlfriend?/partner?, his mind started to wander.He hadn’t often thought about what the relationship between his son and the spectre had been.For the most part, he just assumed his son had a bad case of hero worship.Solana tended to agree.Looking back, there were several red flags.“So you didn’t know about them, but you had your suspicions?”

Before she could begin, the bartender brought over their drinks.She offered her thanks, took a tentative sip, and looked up at him to render the verdict, “Disappointingly accurate.”She lifted the glass pointing it in Castis’s direction as an informal cheers then threw back another sip.She took a deep breath as the alcohol warmed its way down her throat.

“When they found her, the doctors asked me if I had any way to contact Garrus Vakarian.Apparently, he was listed as her medical proxy on the chip in her dog tags.At first I thought, well we weren’t as close as we used to be before…” she trailed off deciding not to go there.  "It made sense for her to pick someone else.The longer I sat at the hospital just waiting for any good news, the more I started to really think about everything.When she took command of the Normandy, she used to tell me all of these, what I thought at the time were, exaggerated stories about her experiences or at least what she could tell me that wasn’t classified. One day, she started gushing about this C-Sec Officer that joined her team a few months back.Some time later, she even said she hoped I’d get to meet him one day.”She looked up to measure his reaction, but there wasn’t anything to read.

“I remember thinking it was a little odd.I was happy she had found someone if that’s what she’d meant, but also a little worried at how sudden it seemed.I would’ve hated for something like that to somehow derail her career.When Saren was taken down, there were vids of her team posted everywhere many, much to my surprise, featuring a _turian_ in C-Sec blue armor.I knew immediately that I had gotten it wrong.I guess I was…relieved?She knew I served during the Relay 314 incident, so I just assumed she wanted to introduce me to her turian friend to try and tear down any old prejudices I may have had.” Under her breath, she threw in a, “Sounds like something she would do.” 

She took another sip of her drink hoping he didn’t mind her talking his head off, but she was nearing her point.His attentive, blue eyes remained squarely focused on her.“The thing is, a few years later, she ended up with a turian gunnery officer on a Cerberus vessel of all places.I remember thinking, _why would a turian go on a mission with a speciesist humanistic organization?_ That’s when I really started to wonder.”He nodded and took a long sip of his drink.After placing it back down, he stared deep into the swirling concoction.

“When my wife got sick, I took an early retirement to return to Palaven to see to her care.”He looked up to find sympathetic eyes staring back at him.“My son and I didn’t talk very much.Never really saw eye to eye.Unlike him and his mother.Around the time reports of the commander’s death started popping up, I got a call from Executer Palin saying Garrus had submitted his resignation at C-Sec.No explanation.Just silently walked in, put the datapad on his desk, and walked out. ”

She tried to remember if she had seen the turian at the funeral, but the truth was that she didn’t remember much from those days.It was just a hazy cloud of alcohol and repression. Castis picked up on the way the corners of her eyes tightened at the mention of her daughter’s death, but thought it best to continue rather than dwell on the topic.

“I tried to get in touch with him, but he wasn’t returning my calls.I had some business to attend to anyway, so I headed to the Citadel.His apartment was vacant.I looked into some leads, but nothing panned out.A few weeks later, his sister received a message that said, ‘Out of contact for a while.Give mom my love.I’m sorry.’Around that time, Verra’s condition was worsening.I had gotten her in to a few trials on Palaven, but they came with a heavy price tag.Things were…strained.A couple months later, his mother received an anonymous check.Every month, she’d get another.”His expression remained neutral as he tried to reign in the flood of grief and regret trying to leak out.

Her heart broke for him. “Any luck tracing them?”

“I like to think I’m pretty good with tech. Solana is better, but Garrus was always on another level. He was setting booby traps around the house by the time he could walk.”

“Sounds…familiar.” She smiled fondly.

“We could never track him down, but money kept coming in so we knew he had to be alive.Roughly two years later, I get a call from him.I could hear gunfire in the background.He sounded resigned, but insisted it was just target practice. He promised to finish up and come back home so we could talk things through, but I could tell he hadn’t expected to make it.Then it was like a switch flipped.His entire demeanor changed. He said it looked like the odds had just gotten a lot better, then the line went dead.He must have gotten sloppy at the end, because I was able to track his location to Omega.But before I could do really look into it, I started getting reports from some of my sources that he’s following a dead spectre around the galaxy.He messaged Solana a few times, even got his mother into a new experimental treatment with the salarians, but it would be a while before we spoke again.”He took a long swig of his drink.Not something he normally would’ve gotten, but the familiar numbness that followed was a welcome distraction.

 _Omega._ Her interest was peaked.“He was on Omega the whole time?”

“As far as I can tell.”He watched her closely.It looked like she was trying to work something out.

“I was stationed in the terminus around that time.Batarian slavers and mercenary groups were on the rise and growing bolder.Our missions mostly revolved around protecting Alliance colonies and facilitating trade deals, so we kept pretty well apprised of the goings on in that system. Your son a sniper?” She wasn’t sure if she should be the one to break it to him, but the timeline fit, and it seemed like a hell of a coincidence.

He nodded slowly, anxious to hear where she was going with this.

“Are you sure his injury was from Omega?” She watched him, eyebrow raised.

“As far as I can tell, yes.” Castis gritted his teeth, expecting the worst.

“ _Archangel_.”She said the word slowly like she was testing out the sound of it. 

His eyes widened.“Archangel was just another mercenary group in the terminus.You’re saying my son got pulled into a mercenary gang?” He sounded defensive, clearly not amused by her suggestion.

“No.I’m saying he was THE Archangel.They weren’t a group of mercs, well not really anyway.They were like the Robin Hood of Omega…”He made a mental note to research the reference as she continued. “…disrupting red sand shipments, arms deals, attacking slavers.Giving money back to the citizens.Blood Pack, Blue Suns, Eclipse.They threw everything they had at Archangel’s group, but he still managed to take down their highest ranking leaders.Red sand sales were down almost 83%. The smart ones scaled back their operations and hid.Even Aria stayed out of his way.”

Castis didn’t look very convinced, but she didn’t have the same skill at reading turians that her daughter clearly had.

“It all started with a turian sniper dressed in a blue not dissimilar from your colony markings named Archangel who eventually amassed a multi-species team of the same name.We could never get anything definitive about his identity, but he was thought to be dead.Taken out by a gunship after his entire team was killed, betrayed by one of his own supposedly.It’s all anyone talked for about the longest time.Every port we docked in.Some of them even sold memorabilia, others arranged vigils.” 

She scrolled through pictures on her omni-tool and pulled up an image to show him: a golden emblem composed of two parallel lines above a winged figure fixed to a wall, surrounded by flowers, candles, pictures.She was a little taken aback as she watched him react.He mandibles were pulled back, pupils dilated. His earlier stoicism was slipping, leaving him lost somewhere between shame and astonishment.

“I…I don’t even know what to say to that.” Castis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. _Could this be true?_ “My life was devoted to enforcing the laws.Working within a framework to keep people safe, protect their rights.I always knew he saw things…differently, but to turn vigilante? To be so reckless, go against every code that our people stand for?If we don’t hold ourselves to a higher standard, then we’re no better than the bad guys.”Under the table, his hands were clenched tightly into fists.

She understood where he was coming from, but he hadn’t been there.She sat up a little straighter and placed her hands on the table, interlocking her fingers together.“Just to play devil’s advocate…is it really all that different than traveling through the Omega 4 relay?They weren’t exactly operating under a rule book then.And if they hadn’t broken the rules, we would all be dead.”His face hardened, an almost imperceptible growl vibrated in his throat.She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.“Look — just because the timeline fits doesn’t mean it’s true.And even if it is, I know you might not approve of his methods, but if you saw the impact he had first-hand, you might feel differently.I could tell you some stories if you’d like but, I guess it doesn’t help that this is coming from me rather than your son.For that, I’m sorry.” 

“In retrospect, it makes sense that he would keep me in the dark about it.Doesn’t make it any less palatable.”He took a long swill of his drink.She thought about reaching for his hand to offer some sort of comfort, but decided against it.Had she ever actually touched a turian before? 

“Believe me. I get it.I had to find out my daughter was alive through alliance intelligence channels.Then come to find out she was working with _Cerberus_.They stood for everything she had always fought against.But I guess sometimes the ends justify the means.She defeated the collectors.Turned herself in.”

“And my son was with her,” he shook his head then tossed back the remainder of his drink.She did the same, and requested 2 more. “Shortly after the Alpha relay was destroyed, there was a knock on the door.Garrus.I tried to ask about his face, but he wouldn’t go there.He placed a case file in front of me and requested that I not interrupt until he was finished.He walked me through some of their missions.Anything relevant to the reaper threat.”If he hadn’t known any better, he’d say she looked jealous.

“He asked me to call in a few favors, to get him an audience with someone high ranking in the hierarchy who would listen to reason.When he finally got to make his case to the primarch, it was like I was seeing him for the first time.Not the impulsive hierarchy recruit. Not the hot-tempered C-Sec Officer.He was determined, willing to sacrifice everything to prepare his people.On our way out of the office, one of the secretaries made some derogatory comment about the commander.Before I even knew what was happening, Garrus had grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.His eyes hardened.Teeth bared.The secretary froze.Begged forgiveness.Garrus tossed him to the ground and didn’t say another word about it.His previous disposition returned like a switch was flipped off.No one of note had seen the exchange, so I let it go.  Things were already so strained.  At first I figured he was just defending his commanding officer, but looking back, I think I was only seeing what I wanted to see.”

She rolled the glass around her hand staring through it at the table below.“I probably would’ve thought the same thing.I suppose there’s a fine line between loyalty and devotion.” 

Castis quirked up a little, appreciating her ability to breakdown a complex situation into such a simple and obvious truth.He watched her send _The Normandy_ off on its final voyage with a glint of sadness in her eyes.

“My husband would’ve been much better equipped to deal with this than I’ll ever be.Jane and her dad were the ones with the special bond.I was deployed most of the time, so I missed out on a lot. My fault, really.”She started to feel a little exposed. _Maybe sharing your deepest fears and insecurities with a turian you met forty-five minutes ago wasn’t the best decision you’ve ever made._

Noticing her hesitation, he added, “It’s strange to feel like you’re intruding on your own family.”

Her eyes snapped up to him, offering a faint smile. _So he did understand._ She continued, “After her father was killed, I tried to be more present, but I carried around so much anger. I was…closed off. Before she joined the military, she reached out, but I felt like I would just be holding her back.We kept in touch, but our conversations were mostly glorified small talk. I’ve never managed to get it right, but knowing what I know now, I would have done everything differently.Doesn’t help to dwell in the past I suppose.”

“Verra used to say ‘If you spend too much time looking behind you, you’ll miss the view.’It seems rather apt given the situation at hand.What will you do?”He sat up a little straighter, crossing his hands on the table casually as she had earlier.

“I love her more than anything.I can’t let their relationship mean the end of ours.”

His subvocals hummed with agreement.Sure their pathways had been different, but here they sat — two people who at one point in their lives were sworn enemies finding some common ground.He wondered if this is the feeling that drove the commander to fight for such alliances.“We find ourselves in similar circumstances, Admiral.” 

“Hannah.You can call me Hannah.” _Might as well dispense with the formalities._ _We might end up being family after all._ She only shuddered slightly at the thought.

“Hannah then. It’s Castis, if you please.”His mandibles flared slightly into what she assumed was a smile. The turian sitting across from her was most definitely not the one she had walked in with.There was a certain softness there she hadn’t noticed before.He continued hesitantly, “I guess if my son was going to fall for a human, then I’m glad it was _your_ human.” _Spectre or not, she did save the galaxy._

Against her better judgement, she reached for his hand and gave it a tentative squeeze before pulling it away slowly.A gesture of solidarity that he graciously accepted.“I guess if my daughter was going to fall for a turian, at least it was _your_ turian.” _The batman of turians._

 

—

 

Garrus knew their time was running short.“I just got back.I…I don’t want to leave you again.” She looked into his eyes for a moment before pulling him into a deep kiss.She caught him off guard, but he was more than happy to reciprocate.He brought his hand to her face, gently tracing her jaw line until finally settling on her neck.Dextrous human fingers started working their way into the soft skin under his mandible.His subvocals emitted a deep rumble as she slipped her soft, pink tongue past his mouth plates.His free hand loosed the bun atop her head tangling his fingers in her hair.A soft moan escaped her lips.Her mouth found its way to his neck, slowly nibbling her way up to his other mandible. _Spirits he had missed this._

A chirp from his omni-tool rang out indicating the nurse was on her way.She sighed deeply before pulling away, bringing her brow to his, a wicked smile crawling up the corners of her mouth.He picked up on the ever so subtle change in her scent.

“Guess I’m not alone then,” he mused aloud.She slowly shook her head, eyes locked on to his.She motioned for him to bring his ear closer to her.

“Your girlfriend has an order for you…” she said in breathy whisper, this time not as a side effect of the breathing tube.

“— I’ll come back to you, Shepard.”She smirked, satisfied with his promise.

As the nurses walked in, he stood slowly then carefully placed his discarded armor in the cabinet on the other side of the room for safe keeping.He skimmed over the hospital authorization forms they sent to his omni-tool, signing off quickly.

“Ready, Mr. Vakarian?” asked the nurse.He glanced at Shepard, reaching for her.She squeezed his hand looking him over confidently.He brought her hand to his mouth, nipping at it in his best approximation of a kiss, then let her go. 

“Let’s get this over with,” he said to the nurse as he lowered himself into the wheelchair. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. It's going to be a busy month, but I'll do my best to try and post something weekly...even if the chapters end up a little shorter. This one is a little too dialogue heavy for my taste, but hopefully I'll be able to fit in a little more backstory going forward. I'm trying to avoid spending too much time rehashing scenes that actually happened in the game. Thanks for reading!!


	5. The Other Vakarian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Shepard waits for Garrus to return from surgery, she receives an unexpected visitor.

Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard had given up command of her ship when her daughter was found all those months ago.  It hadn't been an easy decision, but she wouldn't have been able to live with herself if Jane woke up all alone in a strange place after all she had done.  Hannah had recently been reassigned to oversee the alliance refuge camps in the region — to ensure their basic needs were met and order was maintained.The work kept her busy, but she missed the rigid structure life aboard a starship afforded.The organized chaos of post-reaper life on Earth took a little getting used to.

Areas around the city had been subdivided into various hubs so that each species had a centralized location to establish their own governances and to disseminate information and supplies to their people.While humanities leadership initially disagreed with the idea of aliens self-governing on Earth, they had come around after seeing how crucial a return to normalcy had been in controlling their own desperate population. 

A representative of each species been put forth to serve as a sort of temporary councilor.Once communication with the other homeworlds and colonies could be reestablished, formal nominations would be put forth and permanent councilors selected.The center of the city was serving as a makeshift citadel where coordination of rebuilding efforts, diplomatic negotiations over territories and basic needs, scientific think tanks working on getting the relays back up and running, and prefabricated shelters for all those involved would be centrally located as to not offer any perceived favoritism.It wasn’t a perfect system, but it was decent starting point.With the stockpiles of military rations and the quartan live ships producing at maximum efficiency, the dextro population wasn’t expected to run out of food as long as rationing remained in place.Still, makeshift greenhouses were being setup on the outskirts of the city in case the relay problem wasn’t remedied by the time food became an issue. 

After some initial rampant looting and growing hostilities between the disparate groups, a mandatory curfew had been put into effect.Outside of the military zones, an interspecies task force had been setup to establish a C-Sec type detail to patrol around the city and surrounding areas.After some not-so-gentle urging from Primarch Victus, Castis offered his services as the turian representative of this task force.While he knew it would be a temporary assignment, Castis had to admit it felt good to be in the thick of it again.And given current circumstances, he welcomed the distraction. 

The harsh evening air caught Castis a little off guard as they exited the warmth of the pub.Hannah started to ask him what he thought of the climate when her omni-tool flashed with a high priority message from Alliance HQ.One of the krogan camps had accused their alliance liaison of sabotaging one of their water supplies and was threatening to riot.She was being called in to handle it.Though out of the scope of her current duties, alliance brass seemed to think throwing any old _Shepard_ at the problem would somehow magically fix it —as if her genetics contained some kind of krogan codex.Castis watched Hannah close out of the message she had been reading, her face flush with frustration.It seemed their time was nearing an end.

Her thoughts turned back to the last couple hours.Their conversations hadn’t actually yielded any sort of obvious resolution, but now that the shock had worn off and the bulk of it was off her chest, she intended to at least attempt to keep an open mind when speaking with Jane.But first, she had to play arbitrator.

She turned to Castis to say her goodbyes, “Well, I guess this is it for now.I’ll swing by the hospital when I finish up.” She sent him her contact info without a second thought.He accepted with an appreciative subvocal trill.“If you see them…her, will you tell her that I’ll be there as soon as I can?”

He nodded sharply.

“Thanks.This has certainly given me a lot to think about,” she felt like she should say more, but came up with nothing.She started to walk away, but stopped at the sound of his voice.

“Hannah?” She turned back to him. 

“Take care.” He reached out his hand to shake hers.A little surprised at the gesture, she threw him a quick smile and grabbed his hand shaking it firmly. She took a deep breath while slowly straightening out her alliance blues before turning sharply to go put out the fire. 

 

—

 

Back at the hospital, the new guard eyed Castis suspiciously, but eventually cleared him through the checkpoint after triple checking that his credentials were in order. _Well, someone must have gotten an ear full._ He took a deep breath, steeling himself, then headed for the hospital room. 

His goal was simple, establish contact, try not to start any conflicts, and get out before any permanent damage could be done.He needed his son in his life, so for now at least, he was going to have to try and accept the commander.They weren’t bonded as far as he knew.Maybe now that the war was over, they would both come to their senses.He’d seen plenty examples of love forged in the fires of battle, and the foundation for these relationships was often shaky, unsustainable.As he approached the room, he noticed the window blinds closed but the door partially open.He poked his head in slowly to scope things out.Garrus was nowhere to be found.For some reason, he hadn’t anticipated this possibility. _Abort mission._ As he stealthily slid back out of the frame, a teasing, raspy voice reached his ears, “You can come in…I promise I don’t bite.” 

Before him was the so-called paragon of humanity.He hadn’t known what to expect exactly, but up close, she looked so small.He scanned over her assessing the extent of her injuries. _What had she been through exactly when the crucible fired?_ Clearly she had been intubated for a long period of time.Her voice gave that much away. She was lifting her head, but seemed to be reliant on the bed to keep her upright.He could tell there were medical devices under the sheets, and one of her shoulders was wrapped tightly, keeping her arm to the side. The scarring on her face seemed to be healing.As wary as he was of her, he took no pleasure in her current state. He finally settled on her eyes. Someone once told him that humans referred to the eyes as _windows to the soul_.What he found staring into them was anything but small.

He let out the breath he had been unintentionally holding and took one step into the room, “Commander Shepard.Castis Vakarian.I was looking for my son.”

“Good to meet you, sir.”She smiled softly up at him, while trying to suppress her nerves.“Have a seat if you’d like.He’ll be back in an hour or so.”She cleared her throat and took a sip of water.“I…don’t normally sound like this,” she added a little embarrassed.

She gestured to the sole chair in the room his son had occupied earlier.Every part of him screamed to make up an excuse and leave.At best, he’d partake in a little awkward small talk.At worst, Garrus might perceive this as an attempt to confront his partner without his presence. Still, she probably wouldn’t be confined to this room for long, and he suspected it would be difficult to get in a room with her once the Alliance dug their claws back in.

His mind flashed back to an image of the pair intertwined but shook it off and walked to the chair opting to stand instead.“I ran into your mother earlier.She got called in to resolve some diplomatic issue but promised she would be here as soon as she could.”

_“_ I appreciate the message. The doctor just gave me my omni-tool back.Granted he’s attempted to block all the features worth having, but I should be able to get a message to her.”She tried to get a read on him, but he was either completely unaffected by the events of the day, or quite gifted at masking his feelings.“I hadn’t realized the two of you were acquainted, sir,” she said a little slyly.

“Only just,” he replied plainly.

It dawned on her that she hadn’t actually given him any information on Garrus.That might be a good place to start. “There’s no reason for you to worry, but they took Garrus to surgery to repair a leg injury, just a simple out patient procedure.They’ll be bringing him back here.Dr. Cadro Telon can give you the specifics if you wish.”

He nodded seemingly appreciatively, but his subvocals trilled with frustration at Garrus neglecting to inform him of the procedure. _Left in the dark yet again._

Shepard, picking up on this double meaning, replied defensively, “He was going to message you, but the doctor let it slip that you’d been by the room.Garrus interpreted your lack of actually coming inside to mean you weren’t ready to talk about...all of this.”She readied herself not really knowing what to expect.

He looked over at her with surprise.Knowing about his earlier stint as a voyeur was bad enough, but she could also read subvocals?“You can read subvocals, Commander?” His voice remained calm and collected, but the raised brow indicating his interest was piqued.

“I pick up on more than most.And it’s Jane to you, sir.”She took another sip of water to give him a second to process.His mandibles were tight on his face, subvocals neutral, revealing nothing as the room filled with a silent tension. _So that’s how he wants to play this…_

“If there’s anything you’d like to say, any questions you have, now’s as good of a time as any,” she offered as congenially as she could muster.While her movement was limited, she maintained his gaze and kept her hand at her side attempting to keep the space between them open.

He scanned her face trying to establish some sort of baseline.Her heart rate was being monitored on the display above her bed along with her O2 levels and blood pressure.He realized that he was alone in a room with his son’s human girlfriend, and she was basically strapped up to a lie detector.He wondered how Hannah would handle the situation if their roles were reversed and Garrus was strapped to the bed across from him instead. 

One of the things he’d learned after years of C-Sec interrogations was that sometimes the best thing you could do is remain silent.People hated silence.Somehow they always ended up disclosing more about themselves than simple questions could.

She waited for him to say something, anything, but he just sat there staring down at her, expressionless.She refused to break eye contact.She’d taken down a reaper on foot.She wasn’t going to be intimidated by an old, prejudiced turian. _That being said, if a red laser pops out of his forehead, I’m out._

After a full minute of silence, she let out a frustrated sigh.She had an omni-tool to hack, months of news to catch up on, and he was going to hold her up with some kind of power play dominance bullshit.She was over it. “Okay, as much as I appreciate a good staring contest, I guess I’ll just cut to the chase…”

She had taken the bait, unable to resist taking control of the situation. He focused on her intently, eyes narrowing.

“I love your son.We’ve been exclusive for years, but didn’t want to disrupt the crew or the fragile alliances we’d worked so hard to maintain, so we tried to keep it below the radar as much as possible.But that was before.Against all odds, we survived.It’s a new galaxy out there…hopefully one we can help transform into something better.We’ve discussed it, and we’re done hiding.” 

He watched her stats closely though they never deviated.The savior of the galaxy — she could have any mate of her choosing.Why his son, a turian?Sure Garrus was from a prominent family and held a high ranking position, but he’d seen firsthand how humans took their personal commitments far too lightly.What happened to Garrus when she decided she was done with him?He couldn’t stomach the thought of his son pulling another Omega.

Her initial defiance broke to reveal a slight vulnerability as her eyes turned to the floor, voice quiet and raw.“Without him, I’d never have made it as far as I did.He may have been my subordinate technically, but anyone on the Normandy will tell you he was my XO, my partner, my equal.”With glassy eyes, she turned her attention back to him.“They may throw my face up on all the posters and the news reports, but the truth is, there is no Shepard without Vakarian, and if things keep going the way they’re going, there never will be.”

He didn’t really know what to make of that.Okay, so the admiration was mutual.He thought the news should make him feel better, but it didn’t.The silence was brutal, but he wanted to see how far she would go.

She took a deep breath before composing herself, targeting him with her _commander eyes._ His mandibles twitched slightly, a little taken aback.“Mr. Vakarian, it’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you should know that I’ve had extensive training in interrogation tactics and beaten lie detectors far more complex than this one.”She gestured towards the monitor above her.“I’ll answer any questions you throw at me, but at some point you’re just gonna have to decide whether to trust me or not.Enough with the games.” The corners of her lips quirked up ever so slightly, her eyes challenging him.The deep green and amber circles of her eyes burning with a silent fury few ever saw up close and personal.He had to admit, there was something striking about her.A part of him understood why the leaders of the free world had united around her.

“It’s not about trust, Commander.”He sounded almost remorseful.The decision to stick with rank rather than her given name stung a little.

“Because I’m human then,” she stated sharply, though most of the sting was lost to the airiness in her voice.

“It’s true that taking a human for a bondmate would most likely lower his tier within the hierarchy.Not to mention it would probably put a rather large target on your backs.It would also mean foregoing biological children.”He paused for a second looking down to his hands intertwined on the back of the chair in front of him before continuing.“I’ve served with many humans over the years at C-Sec.Their views on marriage left a little something to be desired.Turians mate for life…it’s an integral part of our culture.” He watched her, carefully trying to gauge her reaction.

She appreciated his bluntness.That she could work with.Voice steady, she responded, “Because of Garrus, the hierarchy had 6 months to prepare for the reaper invasion.He was a direct advisor to Primarch Victus, and helped lead the final ground assault responsible for taking out the reapers once and for all.He saved millions of your people, and they would demote him for his choice in mate?And as far as kids go, we always talked about adopting.There are millions of orphans out there in need of good homes.To your last point, as I’m sure someone as astute as you has noticed, the one trait shared by all of humanity is our diversity.Surely you don’t think we all have the same views on marriage?” _Stick that in your gun and shoot it, Grandpa._ She stared at him defiantly awaiting his response.

_They’re talking about having kids?!_ He tried to hide his surprise at that little revelation, but he was sure she picked up on it. _So, they really were that serious?_ Her points were mostly valid, but if he was being honest with himself, her humanity wasn’t his chief concern.Sure it was something he didn’t understand personally,but mating with an asari didn’t have quite the same stigma as it did when he was younger. It really wasn’t _that_ different. “In earnest, I’m not thrilled about him choosing a human…” She hung on his words, not surprised but disappointed.“On the other hand, you aren’t exactly _just some human_.”

Shepard’s face betrayed nothing, but her mind was running in circles. _Well that was a backhanded complement if I’ve ever heard one._ _So what was the issue then?_

She wished she wasn’t stuck in this bed.It made her feel so helpless, and this conversation wasn’t exactly helping matters.Realizing there was something to be done about it, she tried to pull herself up to sit a little higher hoping the leverage might make her feel a little empowered, but her arm was too weak.It gave out almost immediately.The jolt to her hip as it fell back to the bed was sharp and debilitating. She tried to hide the pain from him, but she knew he wasn’t that dense.His subvocals rang out with concern.She looked up at him quizzically. _At least he didn’t take an pleasure in her pain.It’s a start at least._

“Take it easy, Commander.These things take time.”His mandibles lifted slightly as his subvocals trilled reassuringly.

_What am I supposed to do with mixed signals like that?_ He had tested her, basically told her she wasn’t good enough, but that maybe she was good enough, then felt sorry for her because she’s a little broken right now. _Is he always like this?No wonder they butted-heads constantly._

With a weak smile she responded, “They do take time, but I heal fast and haven’t exhausted all my options yet.”He stared at her a little confused.She closed her eyes and clenched her hands into tight fists at her sides, concentrating hard.Before he could tell what was happening, a brilliant blue light engulfed her.She gritted her teeth while sliding herself a few inches up on the bed, then released the biotic field, setting herself gently back down.Breathing heavily, she surveyed the outcome. _Mission accomplished._ Her hip and chest ached, but it was a lot smoother than before.She was no worse for wear…or at least she thought so until a sharp pain erupted from her head eliciting a loud yelp, followed closely by a slow, stream of blood leaking from her nose.The sensation was eerily familiar… _No, not now…_ She shut her eyes briefly fighting the memory threatening to surface...

 

 

_Jane walked home after school. After being stuck inside a stuffy room all day, it was nice to feel the wind blow through her hair and the warm sunshine on her face.She entered the small house to find her dad sitting at their table his eyes a little heavy, chin rested on his palm.The instant he saw her, he straightened up and threw a not all too convincing smile on his face._

_“What’s wrong, dad?” Jane asked obviously concerned.She looked around noticing her mom was nowhere to be found._

_“Everything is fine.It’s just…the Einstein’s tour got extended for another few weeks, some kind of classified mission.She had to go no contact for awhile.”Jane’s shoulders dropped a little, but she tried to hide her disappointment.She understood her mom’s job was important, but she hadn’t seen her face to face in nearly two months. And she’d been looking forward to their next shooting session.It had been their one special thing the past couple of years.While Jane and her dad could talk tech for hours, laugh at the same stupid jokes, or stay up all night marathoning bad sci-fi vids, he had always been something of a pacifist, never having been particularly fond of guns and what they represented…granted he also couldn’t shoot the broad side of a barn.There must have been something to that whole ‘opposites attract’ thing.She wondered how they ever ended up together._

_“She wanted me to tell you that she’s sorry, and she promises to make it up to you.She loves you, Scuttlebutt.”The corner’s of her mouth quirked up ever so slightly at the familiar nickname, but it didn’t make her miss her mom any less._

_“Tell you what, you go do a little biotics practice, and I’ll fix us something to eat.I’ll even let you pick the vid tonight.”He stood up and walked over toward her bending down to kiss the top of her head, ruffling her hair as he passed by en route to the fridge. She rolled her eyes a little as she smoothed her hair back down._

_“Why do you guys keep pushing the biotics so hard?”This wasn’t a new conversation.When her biotics had surfaced last year, she saw them as more of an annoyance than anything else.It’s not like she was going to randomly flare out or anything — that much she had under control.But what did precision biotics matter to an engineer?Using biotics felt like cheating.She wanted to work with her hands and fill her head with code, not do party tricks at birthday parties._

_He turned to her, “A good engineer learns to use all the tools at their disposal.I know it seems like a lot of work now, but eventually you’ll be glad you put in the effort.Trust me, Jane.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”Resigned, she let out a sigh as she left the kitchen and headed to her bedroom.“You’re gonna be sorry you let me pick the vid,”she hollered back to him on her way out._

_“Looking forward to it,” he yelled just as the sound of her footsteps faded away._

_As Jane got to her room and shut the door, she pulled out the mech she had been tinkering with.It was one of their field mechs that had been struck by lighting when it was accidentally left out in the most recent storm.She was hoping to not only get it working again, but to add some key additional functionality and hopefully sell it for a few extra credits.Sure, maybe she’d lied a little, but it wasn’t like she was out partying or stealing skycars.Her biotics weren’t going anywhere.They could wait a bit._

_Half an hour or so later, Jane had lost herself in her work, oblivious to the world around her when a loud crash snapped her attention to the door._

_She jumped up and ran out of her room to find her dad shakily pointing a gun at a batarian standing on the remnants of their front door.Her dad was a smart man, open-minded, resourceful, endlessly caring.But as he stood his ground poorly wielding his wife’s spare pistol, it was clear he was no combatant.A guttural laugh poured out of the batarian’s razor-sharp mouth, as he stared down the human completely unintimidated.Jane’s eyes narrowed in on him…he hadn’t noticed her yet.Knowing she was her dad’s only hope, she surrounded herself with an intense blue glow.Breath held, fists tight, she aimed a throw at the batarian with all the power she could summon— it missed wildly, several feet to the intruder’s right.Before she could react, a sharp pain sent sparks shooting down the side of her head.Warm, red blood gushed from her nose.The batarian smiled widely, all eyes and teeth as he slowly turned his gun on the young girl, clearly the bigger threat of the two.Her father watched in horror before finally snapping out of it and throwing himself, gun blazing at the surprised batarian.The batarian fell back taking several shots to his shoulder and abdomen before slowly sliding down the wall behind him, seemingly done for.Shepard ran towards her father who tossed down the gun throwing his arms out, waiting for her, shocked and trembling._

_The shot that rang out was deafening.She froze, focusing several small circles in the center of her father’s chest that hadn’t been there before. He tumbled backwards.“Stupid humans,” the batarian mused as he slowly pointed the gun towards her.In one swift motion, she dropped to the floor brandishing the small pistol and filling the batarian’s head with two rounds before he had time to react.She threw the gun down, turning back to her father._

_“Dad!” she shrieked, tears filling her eyes.She moved to his side, propping his head up with some nearby dish towels and applying pressure to the wound._

_“Not your fault, Jane,” he managed to choke out, trying to fix her with a reassuring smile._

_“Dad, please, just hang on!I can go grab a medkit from the bathroom.”She tried to stand, but he wouldn’t release her hand._

_“No…More where he came…Hide…Protect yourself…”He gathered the last of his strength to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, like he’d done a million times before.She closed her eyes, trying to memorize the feeling._

_“I love you.I can’t just leave you here!”He was her world.She couldn’t breath._

_“You can, and you will,” he fixed his eyes on her until she nodded, crying softly.His breathing was heavily labored.She had never seen this much blood before as her heart dropped to her stomach.“Make me proud, Scuttlebutt,” he whispered as his smile faded from his face, eyes glazing over.She felt his grip on her hands release._

_She was alone._

_She bent down slowly, cradling his head in her arms and kissed his cheek for the last time, shaking silently.Bracing herself as she tried to stand on unsteady legs, a cold numbness washed over her.The sounds of gunshots, explosions, screams came into focus, filling the background.She picked up her mother’s gun, and opened the drawer to pull out a few spare clips.The batarian’s assault rifle was quite heavy, but she figured she could manage as she threw the strap around her shoulder.She pulled a large knife from his belt and tucked it into hers.She was getting through this.She would be better.She would make him proud._

 

 

Castis’ mandibles flared in alarm.He reached out, handing her a tissue from the bedside while trying to decide whether or not to get the doctor. The appearance of a tissue in front of her eyes snapped her out of it.She cleared her throat shoving down the horrible memory and graciously accepting the tissue.“Guess I’ll have to work my way up to it again,” she said flatly, her eyes not quite present.He could tell she was working through something, but it seemed inappropriate to push.

She took a deep breath, setting her game face back in place as a small, forced smile worked its way up the corners of her mouth.“Thanks. Thought I could handle it.”She didn’t have time for this now.There was too much to be done to fall apart, especially in front of Papa Vakarian. _Get it together, Jane._

She balled up the tissue and placed it in the waste basket next to the bed.Shepard knew she had a somewhat long road to recovery, but she was always rubbish at the waiting game. 

She sighed before speaking up, “Useless isn’t a good look for me.I should be writing up my final report, checking in with the crew who I’m told isn’t allowed to visit because of ‘security concerns’, coordinating with Hackett.I should be training to build up my strength, working to solve problems…”She scoffed. “Sure I was unconscious for a while, but now I’m awake, and there’s work to be done.Things always move so fast.I don’t want to be left in the dark.”

_Image how I felt having zero information about my son for over two years._ His mandibles moved in tightly.He tried to push down the unexpected burst of bitterness elicited by her words.This wasn’t the time for that conversation.Garrus was fine.Without them, Palaven would’ve been just as bad as Earth. _No Shepard without Vakarian_ she’d said. He tried to let it go.The severity in his eyes dissipated leaving behind a cool, cerulean blue.

She could read the conflict swimming around his face.“Credit for your thoughts?” she asked a little timidly.He looked as if he was about to speak then changed his mind.She wracked her brain trying to figure out how to get through to him.She rubbed her throat hoping this wasn’t crossing some sort of weird line, but she knew of one chink in his armor that might elicit at least some kind of a response, “I was sorry to hear about your wife.I-I would’ve been honored to meet her.” 

His subvocals hummed with grief.Castis wasn’t expecting the conversation to take this turn.Verra was his everything.He hated the thought of the world going on without her, forgetting this woman that had affected so many.Maybe he couldn’t give the commander the unconditional acceptance she clearly wanted, but something true, a small gesture, he could do that.The first memory to pop in his head was of his wife’s garden.He smiled fondly before jumping in, “Verra’s garden was breathtaking.She tended to it like it was a third child.” 

He didn’t miss the way her face lit up, realizing a story was inbound.“One season, there was a mass infestation of droxdel, basically just a scavenging forest animal, roughly the size of an adolescent child.They were her nemeses, tearing up the garden, eating the fruit, leaving putrid smelling waste behind.It made her crazy.She had tried everything: sprays, electrified fences, even varren urine if you can believe it, but nothing worked.One morning, I went out into the yard with a nice cup of dextro coffee to find her passed out on the soil with a pistol in one hand and a half-eaten ration bar in the other surround by a circle of some thirteen-odd droxdel corpses.” 

Shepard snorted, covering her mouth in gentle laughter.He trilled happily at her reaction.

“After that, Garrus dedicated a school science project to building her a garden protector drone.She used it for years even after he’d grown up and settled on the Citadel.She was so proud of that thing.”His smile faltered.“I tried to keep up with it after she passed away, but I just didn’t have a knack for it.” She felt sorry for him.

“My dad used to have a small garden around our house on Mindoir.He was actually the lead agricultural engineer for the colony.People used to say he had a green thumb.”Castis looked like he wasn’t quite following when it occurred to her that his translator probably mucked up the last bit.She clarified, “Back on Earth several centuries ago, pottery was made from clay.This particular clay attracted and promoted the growth of microorganisms that would absorb red and blue light reflecting back the green light same as we see in most levo plants.After handling these pots all day, a gardener’s thumbs would turn green, so it became common to refer to people who are gifted at growing and keeping healthy plants as ‘having a green thumb.’”

“Interesting.I’ve always been baffled by the sheer number of colloquialisms and other odd idioms humans use constantly.They sound completely non-sensical most of the time, but I don’t doubt there’s an interesting history behind most.Turian expressions tend to be quite literal, though I’m sure that comes as no surprise.”He pulled his mandibles back into a turian smirk that reminded her of Garrus.

_He was engaging her._ She was thrilled and hoped he could tell.“Garrus will have to lend you his book sometime.”Castis raised his brow at her.She went on,”I would say 70% of the idioms in the book are no longer used, but you’re right.Their origins are fascinating.Our pilot bought it for him as a joke, but it ended up turning into a sort of unofficial contest to see who could slip the most idioms into conversation as possible.”

“You make it sound almost like the Normandy was a big party ship.”He didn’t sound like he meant any offense by the comment, so she chose to take it in stride.

“You might think so, but you’d be amazed at how much something so seemingly inconsequential brings people together.The krogan want to win, the asari want to study their etymologies and historical implications, the salarian collects information on multicultural responses to linguistic stimuli.Maybe everyone is in it for different reasons, but people tend to retain more information when they’re listening closely for a punch line.Not only that, but some of the human crew were a little apprehensive serving on a ship with so many aliens, but it’s hard to be intimidated by a krogan who exclaims, ‘A penny saved is a penny earned,’ every time he pulls a few credits off a dead merc.When it was all said and done, our VI calculated that the game most likely increased team cohesion by 4.7%.We were better prepared and had fun doing it.A win-win.”She eyed him cautiously.

He eyes her skeptically, subvocals thrumming with suspicion.

She raised her eyebrows and opened her eyes a little wider before countering, “Say what you will, but numbers don’t lie.” 

He considered this a minute before adding, “Fair point, commander.”

“I got off on a bit of a tangent there, but to get back to my earlier point, my dad taught me a lot about gardening over the years.After he died, I always wanted to plant one of my own in his memory, but living on ship after ship never really lent itself to gardening.”Eyes full of sorrow, she continued a bit hesitantly,“What I mean to say is, if you ever wanted to try again, I could show you…help out until you get up to speed.”Her voice pitched up slightly worried that she’d overstepped a little with the olive branch.

He was humbled by her offer.Practically speaking, he knew it would probably never happen, but he could tell she meant every word.He closed his eyes and thought of Verra. _Time to be honest, Castis. She’s trying.What’s your excuse?_ “I can’t go through it again,” he mumbled softly, face downturned.

“Your wife?” she asked softly, not quite following.

“Losing my son.”His subvocals flooded with despair, though he tried to mask it.She looked up at him her large, hazel eyes, urging him to continue.“I know what you were doing was important.I understand that now.But what _you_ have to understand is that when I see you together, all I can think about are the years of no communications, his absence as Verra was going through her treatments and when she died, deserting his sister…I know we never quite saw eye to eye, but before you came into our lives, at least we had some kind of a relationship.Even now with the reapers gone, he managed to ignore my message, but didn’t have any trouble making his way here.What hope do I have that things will be any different now?”He collapsed into the chair, trying to get his subvocals, a jumbled mix of anger and regret, back under control.

She nodded slowly then peered into him with a calmness he wouldn’t have expected after essentially blaming her for the rift in his family, “Thank you for being honest with me. I know I’m virtually a stranger to you.I…Ican’t change the past.I’m not going to pretend that you don’t have every right to feel the way you do.But it was never my intention to keep him from his family.Hell, the only reason I even knew about your wife for the longest time was because it was in the Shadow Broker’s dossier on Garrus.Even so, I know he cares about you.I can see the regret in his eyes anytime he mentions you or Sol.Despite what you may think, you haven’t lost him.”His eyes met hers, his expression strained.

She smiled sadly before continuing, “I’m not going to pretend that I can magically grant you peace of mind about the past few years.We both know I can’t.That’s something you and Garrus need to work through together, and I hope you do.What I do know, is that our relationships with him don’t have to be mutually exclusive.All I can really do is love your son and keep showing up and hope that eventually you see things differently.So, that’s what I’m going to do.” The calmness in her eyes was suddenly replaced with an uncompromising resolve. 

“And I need to talk through things with my son,” he said solemnly, but his underlying subvocals hinted at the smallest bit of hope.She nodded at him encouragingly in a way that reminded him of her mother. 

“It’s a complicated situation, Jane. I won’t make any promises I can’t keep.”The smile that began forming at the use of her given name faltered a little.

“However, I’m told it’s a brand new galaxy out there, so I suppose the least I can do is try.”His subvocals were silent, but she could’ve sworn his mandibles pulled back a few millimeters leaving the slightest hint of a smile.

Her eyes gleamed up at him, “I can work with that, sir.”

And for the first time he thought maybe he could, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Hoping to have the next chapter up next Sunday. Thanks for stopping by :)
> 
> P.S. I promise this won't always be entirely devoid of conflict, but after everything all these characters have been through, it's hard for me to believe they wouldn't at least try to play nice.


	6. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah is ordered to work with the krogan by an old friend. Meanwhile, Shep and Garrus settle in after a long day family drama.
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: Chapter may or may not contain mild smuttiness.

 

The main krogan camp was made up of dilapidated, concrete structures loosely connected by a series of makeshift tents serving as mess halls and distribution centers. Behind the buildings, a mix of newer prefab shelters extended beyond the limited view the skycar afforded. It had been a long day, and this was the last place Hannah wanted to be right now.  She had never been (and had no intention of ever going) to Tuchanka but couldn’t imagine it being all that different - minus the radiation and giant death maws, anyway.  As the skycar pulled up to the designated check point on the outskirts of the camp, she pushed down the thoughts of her daughter and placed a call to the human councilor for a quick sitrep per instructions.

“Good evening, sir,” she said with all the confidence she could muster.Hannah had been acquainted with the councilor through Admiral Anderson in what had felt like another lifetime ago.Time was a funny thing in a post-reaper galaxy, and Hannah had learned not to trust it.No one came out of the war unscathed, so it was best not to rely upon your memory of a person’s character, especially one you hadn’t spoken to in some odd years.Still, the woman she had known had been a brilliant computer scientist and served as a staff commander in the alliance before leaving for the private sector.She had been instrumental to the success of the crucible project.Add to that having experience working directly with both the quarians and the turians and Kahlee Sanders made an obvious choice for humanity’s representative.Even so, Hannah remained cautiously optimistic as the familiar visage projected brightly from her omni-tool.

“Good evening, Rear-Admiral, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances,”Kahlee said smiling curtly - the creases around her eyes and strands of gray silently conveying just how long it had been. 

Hannah returned the smile, a little more at ease, “When the sky stops falling, we’ll share a couple of ration bars over a nice scotch.Until then…” Hannah paused briefly as the image of a much younger Kahlee taking a test tube shot from an asari’s cleavage flashed across her mind’s eye.She cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly in dismissal of the memory before continuing, “What’s the situation, sir?”

Kahlee raised an eyebrow at the admiral’s odd behavior, but decided not to press it.She assumed Hannah felt as awkward as she did about the unexpected reunion.Kahlee chuckled softly to herself recalling a younger Hannah riding the mechanical varren at some hole-in-the-wall on Omega. She shrugged it off while pulling up a few documents on her omni-tool then fixing her councilor mask back in place.“We’ve been receiving reports from the krogan councilor that the supply runs to the krogan camp are being tampered with.Initially we assumed it was the krogan playing us for some extra supplies, but things have taken a turn.” Her fingers worked away at sending pictures over to the admiral.“A few hours ago coinciding with the receipt of the most recent shipment, their water supply was tainted.Over two dozen krogan have taken ill.Luckily, they traced the problem to the source and were able to quarantine the water before the whole camp was affected.”

Hannah nodded firmly acknowledging that she understood the severity of the situation.The krogan could be powerful allies when they weren’t acting like petulant children.But they were quick to aggression and weary to place their trust in these new alliances.Though skeptical of the krogan, she wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever justice they decided to divvy out. “Any idea who might be responsible?”

“And that brings us to the next problem. One of the clans is holding Lt. Miller, the krogan-alliance liaison, hostage until the responsible party is brought forth and punished.It’s unclear to us what Lt. Miller may know.Some of the other councilors seem to think the krogan have staged this incident to gain more leverage, to test just how far the rest of us are willing to go to placate them.God knows the last thing we need is part two of the krogan rebellion front row and center.”

“And what do you think, councilor?” Hannah asked crossing her arms inquisitively all the while thinking that the other councilors certainly had a point.

“Poison their own water supply?That seems like an awfully convoluted plan just to bolster council support or to garner more meds and rations.Besides, the last thing the krogan councilor would want is for the rest of us to be weary of her.”Kahlee searched Hannah’s expression and wasn’t sure she liked what she saw there — something a little too cold.“The krogan were instrumental to the war effort.They deserve food and clean water just like the rest of us.”Her eyes focused sharply at Hannah the statement clearly intended as more of a question.

Fortunately for Hannah, she minored in not-so-thinly-veiled subtext… _I didn’t forget about your past.Are the aliens going to be a problem?_ Hannah sat up a little straighter and smiled respectfully, ever the model soldier,“Of course, councilor.At the very least, they deserve any potential threats against them to be taken seriously.What are my orders?”

Kahlee accepted Hannah at her word, the strain lifting from her expression, “We have it on good authority that some of the clans are using this opportunity to dispute their current leadership, claiming they are putting krogan interests behind that of the other council races.Some are even threatening to riot.The krogan councilor assures me that Clan Urdnot is in control and will maintain order, but the krogan need to see we are equally invested in a peaceful resolution.I need you to coordinate with the clan leader and gather whatever evidence you can find as to Lt. Miller's possible involvement.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but you are aware that my experience with the krogan is very limited, sir?” Hannah eyed the councilor skeptically.

“Ah. Yes, admiral.However, the clan leader served on the SR-1 with your daughter.We thought your presence might…disarm him a bit.“The councilor’s lips quirked up into a conciliatory smile, aware of the awkward position in which her former friend now stood.

_There it was._ “I see, sir,” Hannah said a little more bitterly than intended.Better her than to drag Jane into it directly she supposed, but at some point the galaxy was going to have to figure out how to solve its own problems without falling back on its favorite unifying figurehead.

Councilor Sanders stiffened a little at Hannah’s obvious disapproval at dropping the ‘Commander Shepard’ card.She thought it best not to comment.“Report back to me with what you find, but I trust your judgement.If a solution presents itself, take it.” 

The councilor was placing a lot of faith in her, but with everyone completely swamped, Hannah could see where she was coming from.It sounded straightforward enough — work with the krogan to figure out who was trying to sabotage them without accidentally starting the next krogan uprising.   _No pressure._

“Good luck, Admiral.I’ll be looking forward to that scotch.Sanders out.” Kahlee smiled up at Hannah before ending the transmission.

Hannah took a deep breath then exited the skycar...

  

—

  

_Mom,_

_Castis gave me your message.I’m not sure where your head is at, but I know you’ll have…questions.Maybe you could swing by early tomorrow?Historically, I know you’ve liked to keep your distance. With all we’ve been through, I’m hoping that if things aren’t going to change, you can at least be honest with me._

_With love,_

_Jane._

 

As draft #13 floated through the air on the way to its destination, Shepard focused her attention back on attempting to restore more of her omnitool’s functionality.She hadn’t expected that going against doctor’s orders would require such surprisingly hefty decryptions for her drug-addled brain.At the sound of the door opening, she threw her hand under the sheet while trying to look as innocent as possible.

The second thing Garrus noticed as he was wheeled into the room (after Shepard’s too-innocent-for-her-own-good face, of course) was a cot set up in the corner near her bed.“I’m not even gonna ask how you managed to pull that off, but thanks,” he said while gesturing to the cot.“There’s no way I was going to leave you alone tonight…and truth be told, I didn’t relish the thought of sleeping in that awful chair.” 

Shepard smiled up at him earnestly.The nurse gave him a hand as he transitioned from the wheelchair to that _awful_ chair.The nurse glanced at the chair then back up to him apologetically as he settled in. He flared his mandibles in what he hoped she read as a contrite grin.The nurse placed the cane within his reach then squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before stepping out, shutting the door behind her. 

“Your father stopped by,” Shepard began.He froze - the color draining from his face, his heart racing.She continued, “I’ll give you the long version later, but he was…nice.”He stared at her in slack-mandibled silence.She waited for him to say something, really anything, but he remained unresponsive.Shepard sighed, preparing herself to adopt his usual cadence and deep vocal stylings, “ _Well, gee! That’s great to hear, Shep!Where did he run off to?”_ Usually mocking him elicited at the very least an amused chuff, but his lack of reaction did nothing to deter her.”Good question, big guy!Well, it just so happens that Castis got called away on some business, but I promised him you’d send him a message when you were out of surgery and settled in.”She smiled broadly.Still nothing.“ _What an unexpected turn of events! Things are actually looking up!”_ She waved a hand in front of his face before switching back to her normal voice, “Earth to Vakarian.”

He cleared his throat.“I-I’m sorry…Castis Vakarian talking to his son’s human spectre girlfriend? Nice?”

She gave him a quick, self-assured nod,“Nice.” 

“Niiiice.” He said the word as if trying it out for the first time. It’s meaning suddenly lost on him.  For a second he thought it might be the meds in his system, but they hadn't needed to put him under for the procedure, so that couldn't be it.  “I don’t quite know what to make of that.”He wanted to get up and pace around the room.Burn off some of the anxious energy, but he wasn’t sure his leg or the doctor would agree with the inclination.

Sensing his floundering, Shepard went on, “It might take some time, but I think he’ll come around to us.”She needed to believe it and hoped he would eventually, too. “Call me cautiously optimistic.”He looked into her eyes and found her resolve face firmly in place.

“Cautiously optimistic?” he said a little skeptically.“I don’t know Shep, last time you said that we ended up fighting a thresher maw on foot…and their venom is only slightly less acidic than dad on a bad day.”

Shepard gritted her teeth at the comparison. She knew it was a joke, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere with that attitude.  “Garrus, if you want to work things out with him, you’re going to have to give it a real chance.You’ve both been through so much.”His eyes avoided hers as he focused on a discolored spot on the floor tile.She was right, of course, but the years of resentment didn’t melt away just because she flipped the reaper switch.She reached for his hand, rubbing it gently, “If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t have come here.He could’ve written us off outright, but he didn’t.It’s not too late to fix it.” 

He pressed his brow into his palm, “It's been a helluva day. Not sure I’m in the best place to have a conversation with him right now.”He waited for her judgement before adding, “You make it seem so easy — having faith in people, giving them a chance…It’s harder for me not to dwell in the past.But I’ll try.If he treated you with respect, the least I can do is try.”

Shepard smiled warmly, “That’s all any of us can ever do.”She couldn’t help but think he was more like his father than he’d ever admit.

“I’ll meet up with dad after I get some rest.”He wasn’t trying to avoid him...well mostly not anyway.

_You’re not getting out of this that easily, Vakarian._ She tried to cross her arms as she stared him down, but the pose was less intimidating with only one free arm at her disposal.“Garrus Vakarian, you’d better send him a quick message at the very least.I’d rather not give him any more reason to hate me.”

“Th-that…I can do.Give me a few minutes, and I’m all yours.”With that, he turned to his omni-tool and typed away.

 

_To: Castis Vakarian_

_Surgery was a success. I would've replied sooner, but today was a little overwhelming.  I know we have a lot to work through and we’re long overdue, but it's a little hard to concentrate right now after the procedure.I’ll meet up with you first thing tomorrow?Sol sent me the coordinates to your prefab unit._

_Shepard says she enjoyed your talk earlier. We didn’t get into the details but know that I’m…grateful._

_-G_

 

“Done,” he proclaimed triumphantly then scooted the chair as close to her bed as possible, wincing as he dragged his healing leg forward.“It’ll be nice to spend a little more time with you one on one before things get too crazy.And I know I’ve been a little distracted, but don’t think I didn’t notice that omni-tool.”Her eyes went wide.She was caught.

“I know I promised to give it a day and to take it easy, but I can’t stand just sitting here.”She sighed with frustration.“Anyway, the doctor blocked most of the features, and both you and your dad interrupted me before I finish the hack.”She ran her hand over the bun in her hair.It was a mess — another reminder of how helpless she was in her current state.  Supposedly the skin weave on her other arm would be healed enough to take off the bandages tomorrow.It’d be a start at least.

“I get it, Jane.I’m not sure who is in charge of security for the hospital, but maybe tomorrow we could convince them to add a few more visitors to the list.

Her expression turned heavy, the opposite of his intention. “Joker.I need to talk to Joker first.And then Tali and Liara.”She cast her eyes downward.

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do,”he said comfortingly.There was more to it than she was letting on.The distant look in her eyes spoke volumes, but she clearly didn’t want to go into it tonight.It’d been a long day, and they both needed their rest.Garrus knew that while on paper, they had all the time in the world, Shepard didn’t know how to slow down.He had thought things might be different now, but clearly that wasn’t the case.Soon everyone would be wanting a piece of her and running her ragged before she had time to heal properly.And if he was being honest, he wanted her to himself for a bit.They’d been through so much.He knew retirement was a pipe dream — no way they’d be happy just living the easy life.Still, there was a happy medium out there to suss out.

“I messaged mom, but she has to work tonight.”She tried to hide her disappointment.To anyone else, it may have gone unnoticed, but he knew her too well.For all her posturing, she wasn’t okay with the current status of their relationship.She needed something real and less superficial from her only remaining parent. 

“Guess that just leaves the two of us for tonight then.”He grabbed her hand and smiled leaning down to rest his arms on her bed.Feeling his warmth leaning against her, Shepard closed her eyes allowing her mind to wander to other things.And wander to other things it did. She squeezed his hand tightly before fixing her eyes on him, her lips moving into a dangerous smirk. _Uh oh.He knew that look._ Before he could react, she slipped her hand out from under his, pulling him into a desperate kiss.For a split second, he thought about putting a stop to this before they got too carried away, it was getting late and she was still injured after all.But he ultimately submitted, sliding his arm under the covers to lightly brush his hand across her stomach.It was as close as he could get to pulling her into his arms.She lowered her mouth to nibble on his mandible knowing that had always seemed to get him going.His subharmonics trilled uncontrollably when he suddenly stopped, backing away, “Hold on a sec, Shep.”

As her lips were left exposed to the cold hospital air, her green eyes narrowed in on him in fierce defiance.She moved her hand to the back of his neck, drawing him closer.“Please…help me forget for a little while,” the words caught in her throat, her voice not quite coming through.His translator didn’t pick it up, but the intent was clear.Her pleading eyes brought a tightness to his chest. _Can’t he see that I need this?_

He lost himself in her eyes. _How could he ever deny her?_ “Only if you promise to tell me if something is wrong.I thought I’d lost you before…to survive all that to be taken out by your turian beau…” he threw in a little extra vibrato as he continued, “dashing as he may be...well, it might not go over too well, Shep.”She beamed up at him, celebrating her victory while simultaneously wondering where he had come up with the antiquated term.

With his free hand, he traced the scar down her face to her neck following it closely with a trail of gentle nips, ending in a thorough nuzzling at the nape of her neck.The soft moan that escaped her lips sounded more like a rough croak.Her eyes went wide as she glanced up at him, a little embarrassed. 

Garrus placed a reassuring kiss to her brow.“Your voice will be back to normal soon enough.Until then…” His head shifted down until she could feel his hot breath against her ear. “Just. Relax.” The two little words drawn out in that deep, commanding voice stirred up something inside of her — all traces of earlier self-consciousness forgotten.  As he nipped at her earlobe, his dextrous fingers rose from her neck tangling themselves in her hair.She rested her head back against it as he started to gently massage her scalp, pulling back on her hair ever so slightly.Her breath hitched in her throat, her skin tingling as if charged by a thin layer of static electricity.He noticed the quiet beeping of her heart monitor elevated slightly, not unlike the feedback he usually received from his visor.  Talons traced broad circles over her abdomen before his hand slid lower, passing over her hip bone then coming to rest on the inside of her thigh.He tried not to think about the various new scars he felt along the way. 

She melted into him, nodding subtly urging him to continue as his mouth plates claimed her wet, flush lips. _Spirits, don’t let me accidentally kill my girlfriend._ He reached for her warmth, first covering the area with his hand and squeezing gently as if to claim it for his own, as a deep rumble worked its way up his throat.Satisfied, he tenderly parted her lips, finding her wet and waiting.As much as he wanted to feel her clench tightly around him, he resisted the urge, worried too much about aggravating her injuries with unnecessary movement.Instead, he ran his finger delicately up her slit.Her quick intake of breath was matched by rapid beeping.His other hand pulled back tighter on her hair as he followed the line of her neck licking and sucking until settling on her clavicle. _Fuck she had missed this._ As his practiced fingers formed gentle circles around her clit, she closed her eyes focusing on his touch, forgetting where she was.She pushed aside the aches and pains radiating from her healing body.For the first time since waking up, she felt whole. 

He picked up the pace before reclaiming her lips, much more forcefully this time.He tasted sweet, slightly tangy and oh so Garrus.The corners of her mouth quirked up into a smile as she was pulled deeper into the kiss. Their tongues tangled together eliciting a rough groan from her turian.Her satisfied chuckle at his loss of control was abruptly cut off as he roughly tightened his grip, forcing her head back to meet his eyes - a desperate moan passing her lips.She tried to grind against him unable to help herself, but was held firmly in place by the weight of his arm over her hip. __ Her eyes flew open meeting his fierce, blue gaze.He loved to watch her, and she always eager to follow his lead.His finger slid down seeking her wetness once more before returning with renewed vigor.  Faster, more pressure.She panted softly, mouth agape, falling deeper into his eyes.Her heart rate spiked, its pace outmatched only by his deft fingers.She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on when he growled, “Come for me, Jane,” the timbre of his voice reflected in his commanding eyes. That was all it took.A white, hot vision passed over her eyes forcing them shut, toes curling, clenching tightly. She jerked up against his hand as he retook her mouth, her moans escaping into his.He untangled his fingers from her hair, releasing his hold ever so slowly, then slid his hand down to her cheek.His thumb caressed her cheek gently, his pace slowing to a halt as she rode out the last of the aftershocks. He brought his brow to hers, subvocals trilling with a jumble of emotions.

The sound of the door opening made him jerk back in his chair. He sucked quickly on his fingers in an attempt to mask her scent.The act elicited a powerful rumbling from his subvocals. _Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best idea._ Her panicked eyes glanced over at Garrus, her cheeks rich with a color that hadn’t been there prior to their coupling.Dr. Winters slowly walked in seemingly oblivious as he stared down at his omni-tool reading the data coming off of her sensors.“Commander, I was alerted that your vials were going haywire.Is everything all right?”

She started to speak, but paused pointing to her throat to indicate the difficulty she was having getting the words out. _Way to buy some time, Shepard,_ Garrus thought before shifting in his seat keenly aware that he was still in a hospital gown.He really needed to change into some clothes.Unable live in the awkward silence, he began to explain, “Sh-she was sleeping, but then started tossing and turning.It was like she was having some kind of nightmare.I woke her up and told her to take deep breaths to calm back down…that’s about where you came in.” _Entirely plausible._ He was proud of himself.Her slight smirk as she nodded emphatically at the doctor indicated she was, too.  While sex was certainly less of a taboo with his people, either species would've deemed these particular set of circumstances with a raised brow. 

“I see, well it looks like everything is starting to come back down.Would you like something to help you sleep?”He eyed her carefully, taking stock of his patient. She softly whispered, “No, thanks,” and smiled up a him brightly.The doctor fought back a quiet chuckle as he looked down to Garrus shifting awkwardly in his seat.Dr. Winters adjusted his glasses slightly, “Mr. Vakarian, earlier she insisted we let you stay past visitor’s hours against our recommendation.Make sure she gets some real sleep.”

“Of course, doctor,” replied Garrus, his expression mirroring the shiny obedience Shepard had been displaying.

The doctor headed towards the door gripping the handle before looking down to add, “And try to avoid giving her anymore _nightmares_ until she’s been medically cleared.”The doctor smirked as the couple looked to each other completely mortified.“Besides, big day tomorrow...arm bindings coming off, starting physical therapy.You’re going to need your rest.”  The couple threw awkward nods at the doctor, but couldn’t bring themselves to meet his eyes.Dr. Winters opened the door to head out before feeling a little guilty at their obvious discomfort.He sighed gently then looked over his shoulder to add, “Lighten up kids…this ain’t my first rodeo,” before smiling gently and finally exiting.Garrus stared at the door as it closed wondering what a rodeo was and made a mental note to look it up later. 

Shepard turned to Garrus, straight-faced, her voice hoarse but somehow still playful, “What if it’s just another really quick _nightmare_?”She wiggled her eyebrows in a look that got lost somewhere between suggestive and goofy.He mandibles flared out widely as he erupted in deep laughter.She grinned proudly at her accomplishment.Garrus studied her for a long moment contemplating the journey that led them back to each other.How she’d come out of this without letting it change her was beyond him.She would never cease to amaze him.And he didn’t want to waste anymore time.

“I would love to, but you heard the doc…and I’d like to avoid feeling like a fledging getting a dress down again if I can help it.”He walked over to the table next to her bed wincing slightly as he relied on his cane and poured her another glass of water which she accepted graciously.  He reached in the cabinet across the room and pulled on a pair of sleep pants and a shirt the nurse had left for him before rummaging around in one of the pockets of his armor and returning to her.She could hear him fidgeting with something in his hands, but didn’t think anything of it.

She took in the last big sip of water then lowered the empty cup to find him sitting next to her leaning on her bed, holding open a little blue box.She managed to throw a hand over her mouth just in time to block the spit take.

Her eyes went wide with… _shock? adoration? confusion_?He couldn’t quite place it. _Keep going, Vakarian, it’s too late to back out now._ He steadied his voice and took her hand, “When you were in lockup and I was on Palaven, I spent my first evening just wandering the streets trying to work up the courage to face my father.Through one of the storefronts, I saw your face on a vid screen and went inside.As I was watching the news story, I could see the asari shop keeper glancing back and worth between me and the screen before finally pulling a dust-covered box off of the top shelf.She dug around for a bit before asking me if this was what I was looking for.”He opened the little box, her eyes followed.She squeezed his hand a little tighter as he continued, “I finally looked away from the screen to see her holding this ring with an odd grin on her face.She went on saying the stone was a Palaven sapphire, a rare find, and coincidentally a perfect match for my colony markings.”

He chuffed slightly at the memory.“I had every intention of asking any one of a million questions, namely why she thought I needed a ring, but what ultimately came out of my mouth was, ‘I’ll take it.’I don’t know what I was even thinking…we hadn’t even said we were exclusive yet.But she put the ring in my hand, and I just…knew.After you picked me up on Menae, I almost proposed half a dozen times, but it just didn’t feel right to add to the pressure everyone was putting on you.” 

Before he could go on, she interrupted, her eyes a little glossy, “You never would’ve been a burden, Garrus.No Shepard without Vakarian, remember?” 

He closed his eyes for a second letting her words wash over him as a soft hand gently grazed his scarred mandible. His chest tightened as he continued, “These last few months have been completely unbearable.I have no idea what’s next for us, but I know I want to figure it out together.”

She nodded her head swallowing down the lump in her throat before placing a gentle kiss where her hand had been, “Together,” she agreed then brought her brow to his.

She watched Garrus break away to reach into the drawer of the end table next to her bed.He took out her dog tags, unclasping the chain, and placed the ring through it.He knew she had never been fond of wearing jewelry and hoped this would be a nice way to honor the human custom while staying true to Shepard’s sensibilities.

Garrus glanced back to Shepard offering to place the chain with its new addition around her neck.He had clearly given this a lot of thought. She beamed up at him before lowering her head slightly.She wrapped her palm around the ring, holding on to it tightly.“You know me too well…it’s perfect…really.” 

He flared his mandibles clearly pleased with himself, and placed his hand back in hers.

Shepard mumbled a little sadly, “But I don’t have anything for you.”

“Well, uhh..the research didn’t mention anything about that,” he shrugged slightly.“Don’t worry about it, Jane."  He brought his hand under her chin, gently tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "I have the only thing I need.”

“It just doesn’t seem right, ya know?”A light bulb went off in her head as she exclaimed, “Ohh! Will you take off one of these dog tags for me?”He did as instructed then clasped the chain back together and handed her one of the tags.  As she rolled it around in her hand she began, “The doc said if it weren’t for this, they wouldn’t have known it was me.I probably would’ve been left in the rubble…written off.I know it’s not much, but maybe you’d want to hold on to it?Always have a piece of me with you?”  She smiled a little awkwardly, “Wouldn’t be the first time I put my life in your hands you know.”

The gesture was unnecessary, but welcomed.He accepted the tag and placed it in his pocket for safe keeping until he could get a chain similar to hers.Garrus kissed her gently before resting his brow on hers.

After several minutes of uninterrupted bliss, she raised her hand to his chest and stroked it gently before sliding her hand ever so slowly down until his eyes went wide…”Spirits, you insatiable little human.We can’t!”He moved her hand back to the bed clasping his around it.She bit her lower lip, gently pouting. 

T _here were other ways she could still have her fun._ Shepard said in a throaty whisper, “Better start hydrating, Vakarian.We’re going to have a lot of catching up to do.”

He swallowed hard and moved his mandibles next to her ear. _Two could play at this game._ “Don’t worry.Before too long, that pretty little voice will be screaming my name again.” Her mind floundered in the gutter as she fixed him with a devious smile that ultimately turned into a fit of giggles.He cackled softly, shaking his head at their ridiculousness.

He looked up at her earnestly.“How did I get so lucky?”

“Well, the scars definitely helped,” she teased dryly before planting a chaste kiss on his scarred face plate.A satisfied smile formed across his face, no doubt in his mind — this was going to work.

“We should get some sleep, Jane.”He fixed up her pillows, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and removed her hair tie carefully smoothing out her tangled locks with his talons.

She closed her eyes relaxing into his touch, “Pull your cot a little closer?” At the sound of the cot moving, she wrapped her hand around the ring then smiled softly before drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sure tried for a while there, but apparently I'm incapable of sticking to a schedule. That being said, there are so many places I want to take these lovely characters. I'll keep at it even if it takes me longer that expected. In the unlikely event of my untimely death, if this work is not finished, I'll either haunt the internet or pull a ghostwriter, but this shit is happening, people!!!
> 
> Thanks/sorry/thanks.
> 
> Happy Holidays!!


	7. The Other Shepard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah learns a thing or two about the krogan camp then heads back to the hospital where she has an unexpected encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I wish this had been a little longer given how long it's been, but i did go through and change a few minor things in earlier chapters. Thanks for all the comments, suggestions, and corrections!

Hannah walked towards the checkpoint but was quickly flanked by a heavily armored krogan who held out an arm intent on blocking her path.

“I’ll be needing your sidearm, _human_ ,” he demanded, the emphasis on her species more akin to barking through gritted teeth.He turned his palm up then inserted it a little too close for comfort.After declining security detail for this particular mission as a sign of good faith, to say she was irritated was an understatement.Hannah stood firmly, extending her neck and tilting up her chin up,  then secured her hands behind her back.The glare she fixed on the krogan made the message pretty clear — she wasn’t going to be intimidated.

The krogan let out a frustrated grumble before getting in her face, “I don’t th-“

“Get any closer and you’ll be picking pieces of quad out of your teeth for weeks…” her eyes narrowed as she spat out the last word with pure venom, “… _krogan_.”

Before he could muster up a reply, a hearty chuckle filled the room.A new krogan with a face full of scars that matched the gashes in his deep-red armor stepped forward.He shoved the other krogan aside, and offered his hand to her earnestly.

“Urdnot Wrex, Leader of Clan Urdnot.”She stared back at it for a moment before tentatively reaching forward and gripping it tightly. As much as she hated to admit it, he had quite a commanding presence.Though they’d never met personally, she’d heard a bit about this particular krogan.Standing before him, she started to think maybe it wasn’t all just bullshit.

“Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard.”She watched closely for his reaction unsure if he had been expecting her specifically, but he didn’t seem to react to her introduction.Either way, at least he seemed intent on talking rather than chest thumping.

“Sorry about the fledgling.He thinks we’re still fighting a war.”He glanced over to the other krogan gesturing his head in dismissal.She watched the frustrated krogan as he stormed off.An eerie smile worked its way back up Wrex’s face, “Figured you’d just head-butt him with the genetics and all...Not that I don’t appreciate the imagery.”

She started to reply then stopped as his words sunk in.  She stared at him incredulously,“My daughter head-butted a krogan?”She thought on it for a few seconds before shaking her head and softly stating, “Yeah, that sounds about right.”Her shoulders moved into an ever-so-subtle shrug as she continued,“ What’s a little head-butt when you can take down a reaper on foot?” Wrex let out a loud, “Ha!” before clasping her on the shoulder.She immediately tensed up.After gauging her reaction, he jerked his hand back.It dawned on him that even though she looked similar to his Shepard, they had never actually been acquainted.

Hannah could tell he was working something out and decided to steer the topic back to the mission at hand, “So I hear we have a problem, Urdnot?”

“You could say that,” he replied dryly. “But it’ll have to wait.Councilor Bakara _suggested_ that I discuss the matter with both yourself _and_ the task force lead.Something about not appearing to play favorites with the Alliance.”He shook his head as if to say _I know this is ridiculous, but whatcha gonna do?_

“So, then who are we wait-“ she cut herself off as a familiar, if not slightly flustered, turian marched into her periphery.  

An amused Wrex stared at the turian who was eyeing him critically.  “Brass doesn’t think I can play nice without a family reunion?Not exactly subtle, are they?”

“Since when do krogan appreciate subtly?” Castis asserted rhetorically.Hannah glanced over at him with a curt smile. _Her thoughts exactly._  

“I’d heard the Normandy was back.”Wrex crossed him arms, “Guessin’ the lovebirds must be busy if they sent the two of you.”

Castis winced slightly despite himself.He watched Hannah do the same.He turned to her, his brow raised skeptically, before deciding to ignore the question entirely.The last thing they needed was parental advice from a krogan battlemaster.Besides, he had only just been tasked with the assignment and didn’t want to waste any time discussing his family situation.   _Spirits save me from snarky krogan_.“Castis Vakarian,” he said dryly extending his hand in a turian greeting.

Wrex decided to drop the matter…for now at least.He accepted the gesture.“So…I take it you’ve been acquainted?”

Hannah paused briefly hoping Castis would field this one, but to no avail, “Only just,” she said flatly.Castis met her eyes, his expression softened.At least they’d found some solidarity in their misery.

Wrex, preceptive as always, couldn’t help but notice their weighted expressions.Add to that hearing about the earlier news footage, and it wasn’t hard to connect the dots.“Well, I guess I’ll just cut to the chase then.The krogan are getting restless trapped on this hunk of rock.Some view this forced cohabitation as a direct affront to our culture, ultimately weakening us.The remnants of Clan Weyrloc have been preying on that fear and arguing that we’re better off on our own.They assume you’ll turn your backs on us as soon as you’re able, so we should aim to strike you down first while you’re at your weakest.”Wrex took a long breath.As much as he hated to think of himself as a politician, he had finally accepted that having a seat at the table meant using his brain more than his brawn. 

He walked over to the stone table in the middle of the room and took a seat, gesturing to the others to join him. As they sat, he carried on, “The truth is, if I wanted to, I could rip the rival clan leader’s head off and the others would fall in line.I’ve done it before.But with the genophage cured and a new generation of young ones on the way, the councilor and myself have no desire to move backwards.Regardless, that tactic doesn’t get to the primary heart of the problem — they don’t trust you.And until recently, they had good reason not to.”

“So you’re saying poisoning the water supply was a crude attempt at riling up support for Weyrloc’s cause?”Hannah said somewhat frustrated.“If you knew who was responsible, then why the dog and pony show?”

“Keeping the peace will be a fine line to walk.If my clan exposes them with the biased evidence we have, krogan will just see it as the interspecies-loving Urdnots suppressing other krogan.If the council doesn’t investigate as it would if this happened in another camp, it only reinforces Weyrloc’s message about the other species not giving a damn about us.If we just hand everything over to the task force, Urdnot is viewed as weak and ineffective giving Weyrloc an opportunity to seize power.Wrex paused to give the others a second to think.

“So you need the interspecies task force to officially investigate, catch them in the act so there can be no denying it?” Castis offered.

“Not only that, but an interspecies task force operating under the direction of Clan Urdnot.  Task force catches them in the act so proof is undeniable.Krogan see that the council cares about their plight while respecting krogan leadership as equals.Urdnot’s position remains unchallenged and strengthened.”

“And how does Lt. Miller figure into this?”Hannah asked not exactly sure why she needed to be involved in this whole ordeal.

“Somehow Weyrloc coerced Lt. Miller into poisoning the water supply when he was installing the new pumping system.That’s the reason I can’t confront Weyrloc directly — the words of a human lieutenant hardly count as hard proof.I have a krogan on the inside who can confirm this account, but we can’t risk blowing his cover yet.Clan Urdnot controls the makeshift brig, so your cowardly lieutenant should be safe for now.” 

“Since Castis here is your logistics man, why don’t you two talk shop while I have a word with Lt. Miller?The human councilor wanted his account.”Hannah looked to Wrex expectantly.

“Truk?” Wrex yelled into his omni-tool.A brown-hided krogan, significantly shorter than Wrex but much broader, opened the door and stepped in.

“Sir?”He said respectfully.

“Take the rear-admiral to speak with Lt. Miller.See to it that they aren’t disturbed.”

Truk nodded then looked to Hannah, “Admiral?”He gestured to the door behind him.

Hannah walked towards the door before glancing back to Castis and Wrex, a wicked smirk working its way up her lips, “Don’t have too much fun without me, boys.”With that she walked through the door, shutting it behind her.

Both Wrex and Castis kept their attention on the door as it shut.Castis couldn’t help but feel a little awkward being alone with the krogan. _As long as I can keep things focused on business…_

“Any intel on what Weyrloc’s next steps will be?

“My undercover Weyrloc tipped us off about explosives being snuck into the camp little by little.We’re expecting a shipment of rations by the end of this week.With the last shipment tainted, supplies are running low.Blowing that shipment once it’s moved into camp would be devastating.”Wrex eyed the turian but found his face unreadable.Garrus had always been a bit of an open book back in the old days, but the last couple of years seemed to change all that.The turian standing before him didn’t really look all that different.

Things seemed straightforward enough, but a career in C-Sec had taught him never to underestimate anyone with an agenda.“Doesn’t this all seem a bit too easy?Surely Weyrloc has to suspect you’re on to them, especially with all the extra activity around the camp.Seeing the admiral and me here has got to be itching a few plates…so to speak.” 

“I would’ve said the same thing in your position, but I’ve had dealings with this clan for the last couple centuries.We wiped out the bulk of their leadership back on Tuchanka.I have eyes on the new key players, but varren never change their stripes.We throw in a little theatrics today, and they won’t suspect a thing.” _Theatrics?_ Castis didn’t like the sound of that, but decided to wait for Hannah before pressing. 

Wrex turned to his omni-tool and sent Castis a few documents, mostly schematics of the camp, shipment schedules, information on suspected high level members of Weyrloc.He hesitated a moment then attached a picture he’d saved back on Tuchanka.While he wasn’t particularly sentimental, he’d kept the picture, telling himself it was solely because he was proud of the kid. 

A dead thresher maw was laid out in the background.  The sun was starting to set casting a golden, orange glow around the subjects.In the center stood Grunt covered in equal parts dirt, blood, and maw entrails.His arms were around the shoulders of both the younger Shepard and Vakarian as he smiled widely having successfully completed his rite.Garrus and Shepard, appearing just as filthy as Grunt, were looking past him focused instead on each other.In front of Grunt, Garrus’ sniper rifle and Shepard’s shotgun were held angled toward each other and tapped together as if toasting drink.They looked to be embracing the absurdity of the moment, but there was a certain spark in their eyes that Wrex recognized had nothing to do with the situation at hand.That moment had finally confirmed what he had long assumed.Not entirely sure why he thought this was a good idea but eager to gauge his reaction, Wrex sent the picture on its way and turned his attention back to Castis.

Castis was starting to flip through the schematics when the picture popped up on his display.He took a quick glance at it before looking up at Wrex quizzically then slowly back down to the picture before expanding its projected image.At first he wondered why the krogan would send this to him, but on second glance it was obvious.First off, seeing the odd threesome together like it was the most normal thing in the galaxy really struck him.He could imagine it plastered on holo-ads and transit banners as some sort of interspecies togetherness PSA.Then he looked a little more closely at the couple, and couldn’t deny what he saw there.After searching through the endless stream of questions bouncing around his head, he finally settled on one, “When was this taken?” His attention remained squarely on the photo trying to think of the last time he’d seen his son so content.

“Before the Omega 4 relay.It was the kid’s rite of passage.He named Shep and Garrus as his krantt,” Wrex stated, his pride not unfatherlike.

While not particularly well-versed in this particular area, Castis knew _krantt_ was much more than just a casual identifier.“I’m guessing it’s a little unusually for a krogan to involve non-krogan in his rite?”

“Maybe not for much longer if we get this sorted out,” Wrex suggested then looked back at the turian appraisingly.

Castis nodded slowly and closed the picture as Hannah walked back into the room. “Well, I got the same story as Wrex.I agree that it’s best for the lieutenant to stay here until we sort things out.Then we can transfer him to an Alliance facility to stand trial.”Hannah read the room and felt like she was missing something.

Wrex sent her the same information he’d sent Castis, picture included.He had a vague recollection of the parents’ somewhat strained relationships with their kids.He didn’t have to be a master of deduction to figure out they probably weren’t taking the news particularly well.He felt somewhat invested in nudging them back on course, though he’d never admit it.

Hannah received the packet of information, but Castis spoke up before she had a chance to flip through it.

“I’ll take this information back to the task force for review.Then we can touch base within the next 36 hours?”Castis looked to the others awaiting their responses and received curt nods.

“We’ll probably need to arrange a location that’s a little less conspicuous.Can’t imagine the two of us showing up here again for a private meeting would be well received…I’ll work on setting something up,”Hannah offered.

“I appreciate the help,”Wrex said sincerely.Hannah and Castis tried to stifle their reactions, both surprised at the very un-krogan-like show of gratitude.

“Anything to keep the peace,” Castis stated like it was an affirmation. 

They turned to head out, but stopped at the sound of Wrex’s voice, “Go easy on the kids. Standing between them won’t end well for you.” 

Castis and Hannah exchanged a quick glance before exiting the room, deciding against turning back.They’d only taken a few steps when Wrex stormed out after them getting in their faces as he yelled, “Understand that I’m in charge, and if C-Sec can’t handle that, they have no business here.”He turned back around and headed inside, slamming the door behind him.  Recognizing what he was trying to do, they kept their mouths shut, continuing along in silence under the harsh gaze of a dozen odd krogan. 

Once they’d reached a good distance from the camp,Hannah was the first to speak up albeit a little begrudgingly, “Well, that’s certainly the most reasonable krogan I’ve ever met.” 

“Must’ve been something in the water,” Castis replied without missing a beat. 

Hannah couldn’t help herself from laughing as she jerked her hand over her mouth, clearly caught off guard by the off-color comment.“Too soon, Castis.Too soon,” she said wondering how long it’d been since her last good bout of gallows humor. _Had he been funny before?_  

Castis brought his hand up to stroke the bottom of his mandibles, “He had mentioned something briefly about theatrics.Had no idea what he was talking about at the time, but I have to say, I’m actually a little impressed.”

“Agreed.And if this thing goes pear-shaped, he could always join an Elcor troupe or star in the new Blasto flick.” 

“This one agrees,” Castis replied lifting his right mandible slightly. 

Hannah rolled her eyes as she turned back to him, “ _Spirits_ save me from wise-cracking turians.”

Before he could reply, his omnitool lit up with a message from Garrus.He stopped in his tracks, reading through it quickly.Hannah noticed the immediate shift in his demeanor.He seemed anxious, but judging by the way he was absorbed in his omnitool, she had a pretty good guess at what was going on.

As he finished reading it, he felt like he was finally able to breathe a little.He wasn’t exactly happy with the state of things but now he had a little perspective, his kids were alive and healthy and apparently still talking to him.That wasn’t a bad start.Glancing back at Hannah, who was trying pretty hard not to seem concerned, he allowed himself to admit that he enjoyed the company of this new human acquaintance.  Granted, they were probably both a little delirious at this point.  It was getting pretty late and he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept.  

Just as their respective vehicles were arriving, Castis sent a quick message back to Garrus accepting his plans for breakfast.

After running through her options, Hannah decided to head to the hospital.It was already the middle of the night, so she could probably catch up on a little work without interruption, grab a few hours of sleep there, then see her daughter first thing in the morning.  

She looked back to Castis deciding not to press him, “So, I’ll check in with you tomorrow regarding the meeting location?” Hannah asked.

Castis nodded in the affirmative, “Tomorrow it is…and make sure you look through _everything_ Wrex sent before forwarding it along.”

“It’s probably best that we keep this information on a strictly need to know basis, anyway. My list is rather short.”She paused for a second realizing that hadn’t been what he was going for.“Why? Anything I need to be concerned about?”

“Nothing new,” he sighed before continuing, “It appears our new krogan friend is pretty invested in our personal lives.”

“First reapers, now even-tempered, sentimental krogan.What is the world coming to?”she replied flustered though somewhat jokingly.

“I don’t presume to know anymore,” Castis said a little heavier than he had intended it.  She nodded in understanding.Their eyes met briefly in a mutual acknowledgement that their was nothing else left to say.

 

\--

  

Garrus awoke with a slight throbbing in his leg.He glanced over at Shepard and found her soundly asleep, much to his relief.Getting some rest was the most important thing she could be doing right now, though he knew she would never agree with that sentiment if her history was any indicator. 

  

_She was stuck in bed, but that didn’t stop her from glaring at him sitting over on the couch. Once Chakwas stepped out, Shepard crossed her arms at him indignantly, before wheezing out a sickly, “Fredo.”_

_He groaned with an amused annoyance as he rose off the couch and made his way over to sit on the corner of her bed.Who could’ve known the first human spectre was such a baby when she was sick?He started to speak, but was immediately interrupted by a rogue pillow slamming into the side of his face.Before she could celebrate the minor victory, a sudden coughing fit took over.Once she had control again, she looked him dead in the eye and mumbled, “Judas.”_

_“You know, if you’d just let me get some video of this and send it to Saren, he’d probably just give up and go away.”He hadn’t ever seen her like this before, but somehow it amplified her stubbornness to such a degree that it was almost endearing.“Look Shep, what was I supposed to do? You were shaking over at the workbench, your breathing clearly labored, and then you fainted.How could I possibly have avoided bringing Chakwas into this?”_  

_“I don’t know, Calrissian, I would think my express order not to would’ve sufficed?It’s nothing…mostly just a little dehydration.I’ve had worse, and you know it.”She started to settle back into bed a little.Just because she resented being here didn’t mean she couldn’t get comfortable._

_“Pretty sure staying awake 48 hours straight while battling a high-grade fever isn’t nothing, Shep.The doc says you’ll be contagious to the rest of the human crew for at least another 24 hours, anyway.It’s for the best.”_

_“Not like I couldn’t have worn a mask, Saruman.”She turned on her side facing the corner of the bed where he sat._

_He tentatively reached a hand over to a lump in the covers he was pretty sure was her foot and patted it awkwardly, hoping it was a comforting human thing and not a gross violation of personal space.“Look, if you’re worried about getting behind, maybe I could take some of the load off.”_

_Her eyes followed his hand resting tentatively on her foot.She knew it was childish, but giving him a hard time was the only thing keeping her from going crazy.His gesture of sympathy earned him a gracious, if not reluctant, smile as she turned to her omni-tool.After scrolling through a few lists, she settled on one, and sent it over to him before adding somewhat playfully, “There ya go, Brutus.”_  

_He nodded, mandibles fixed in a small smile, then added the latest name to his list.There’d be plenty of time to look it up later, but he was pretty sure he got the gist.He knew her well enough to know this attitude was just harmless ribbing and not anything malicious._

_She scooted over on the bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders before tapping quickly on the vacant spot next to her.“Mind sitting with me a bit?I mean, you are the reason I’m stuck here.And since you’re seeing me at my worst, the least you could do is throw me an embarrassing story from your childhood or something.”_

_He hesitated a little having never really been this physically close to her before.His armor had been set out for cleaning at the time of her incident, so he was stuck in his civvies while getting her squared away.Ultimately he complied, sliding up the bed next to her, and settled in leaning against the headboard.“You’ll have to give me a minute.There are just too many cringe-worthy memories to choose from.”He looked down at her as she chuckled softly in response, her red hair framing her face as her eyes gently closed.He wondered how this could ever possibly be described as her “worst.”_

_“Sorryforbeingapain,” she mumbled clearly not wanting to dwell on it._

_He sat on this a minute with a smug satisfaction, before deciding to let it go, “Not sure I know what you’re talking about, Shep.”He wasn’t particular pleasant when he was sick either.Maybe one day she would have the pleasure of returning the favor._

_She felt incredibly lucky.They had become quick friends in the short time she had known him, and this confirmed that he really did always have her six.“Next shore leave, I’m taking you somewhere special, big guy,”she said barely above a whisper.Her body was a mess of different aches and pains, but there was one particular deep-seated feeling that certainly was new.As he started to tell his story, she scooted a little closer to him, telling herself it was only for the added warmth.Despite her best efforts, she fell soundly asleep moments later._

  

He drifted out of the memory as the Jane before him came back into focus.He hated the thought of leaving her alone but knew she’d insist he took some time for his family rather than fussing over her.That didn’t mean he was going to leave her without a little something.He reached over to her omni-tool and slowly slid it off of her wrist.After 10 minutes of fiddling, he slid the device back on, then slowly stepped down off of the cot, careful to put all his weight on his good leg.His leg was still a little swollen and needed room to breathe. Armor was obviously out for the day as the extra weight wouldn’t be doing him any favors.Besides, at this point, what would he need protection from?He pulled out a fresh pair of civvies from the closet and dressed as quietly as he could manage.Cane in hand, he hobbled back over to Jane, gently brushed his brow against hers, then headed out of the room. 

The site before him gave him pause — none other than Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard sat asleep on a hospital chair directly across from the room.Her eyes were closed and feet set squarely on the ground. Her back held straight and head up with arms resting on her thighs.Even if the uniform hadn’t given it away, her posture screamed military.A quick glance back to the room showed him that the blinds had been closed, much to his relief.He thought about taking the coward’s way out, just sneaking past her and going about his business, but she couldn’t possibly be getting decent sleep on those terrible chairs. 

Garrus took a deep breath then approached the admiral, slowly testing the waters, “Rear Admiral?”

She didn’t react at all.He spoke her rank again, this time a little louder, “Admiral?”

Nothing.

Without really thinking it through, he reached out to tap her on the shoulder.The second his gloved hand made the slightest bit of contact, he was keenly aware of three things: 1) This was without a doubt the mother of the savior of the galaxy; 2) Waking a sleeping Shanxi veteran with physical contact was not his best idea; and 3) His chances of a good first impression were instantly squashed as a cool piece of metal pressed firmly against his abdomen.

He froze.Not so much out of fear… _well, maybe a little fear,_ but the realization that any sudden movements might be his last.Her eyes shot open.She blinked hard a few times as she adjusted to the light then glanced to the gun, followed her gaze up the turian in front of her before settling on his eyes.He could see the moment it dawned on her exactly who she was looking at — her brief expression of surprise turned to one of cold recognition. 

 _Well, at least it couldn’t get any worse._ Garrus cleared his throat then began, “Rear Admiral.”He made a conscious decision to pretend he wasn’t on the wrong end of her gun.“Garrus Vakarian,” he reached out his hand to shake hers, the other resting on his cane.

Hannah hadn’t known what, or rather who, to expect when she opened her eyes, but it wasn’t him.She took a long pause, sizing him up.Injuries aside, he really should’ve known better.She took her time, wanting to keep him dangling in the awkwardness as long as possible.After a minute or so, she had to give him props — if he had been sweating it, she couldn’t tell.

 _Oh spirits, please just make this stop!_ He tried to keep the panic running around his head from sneaking out onto his face, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep it up.This was pure agony.

“Hannah Shepard,” she said skeptically while lowering her gun and extending her other hand out to meet his.

He let out a small breath he’d been holding and shook her hand firmly.“Sorry to disturb you, but I thought you might prefer to rest in the room, spare cot and all.”He reached up behind his head rubbing his neck nervously, “My father asked me to meet him this morning.I’d hate for her to wake up alone, and I know she’s been wanting to see you.”He brought his arm back down to his side, tensely awaiting her response.When none came, he added, “If I had known you’d been out here, I would’ve offered sooner.”

“At ease Vakarian.I’ve never had someone apologize to me for my pointing a gun at them.You’re making me nervous,” she said dryly, getting a bit of enjoyment at watching him squirm. 

Garrus thought on it for a few seconds.He didn’t want to be disrespectful, but being an uptight turian stereotype or the nervous wreck she perceived wasn’t going to do him any favors.  He forced a small smile on his face and relaxed his posture, his demeanor now a little more open.“You know, I could’ve disarmed you, but far be it for me to spoil an old human tradition.  If I remember correctly, it’s something to do with shotguns and speeches about intentions?”Maybe indirectly acknowledging their relationship would backfire, but he knew Hannah wasn’t stupid, so there wasn’t any point in playing oblivious.

Now this seemed a little more like the Garrus she’d heard about.A subtle smirk threatened to creep its way up her lips, but she immediately locked that down.“I’m gonna have to take a rain check on the speech.Haven’t had my coffee yet.” 

“Understood.I have to get going, but I’d really appreciate it if we could speak privately later.Coffee or lunch on me, if you’d prefer?”  Garrus knew things would be a little tense, but maybe giving her a chance to speak her mind without worrying about offending Jane would be best.

She pinged his omni-tool with her contact information.Neutral ground would probably be best.“1300 hours at the hospital cafeteria?” she asked as she stood up from the chair and started to make her way to her daughter’s room.

“1300 hours it is…and this time if you’re sleeping, we can just reschedule,” he replied sarcastically.

“A quick learner,” she said teasingly as Garrus nodded and turned to walk away. “And Vakarian?”

“Yes, rear admiral?” He turned back to face her.

She wrapped her hand around the door knob then looked up at him, “I’d appreciate it if the whole ‘gun incident’ stayed between us.”

Garrus took a beat.He wasn’t the only one who could appreciate a good dramatic pause.“Sorry, ma’am.I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” he said while shrugging innocently.

The faintest smile began to form on her lips as she nodded in thanks.As he started to walk away, a nagging thought wormed its way inside her head.She rolled her eyes to herself, sighing deeply before speaking up against her better judgement, “He knows about Archangel.”She didn’t owe him anything, but felt a little guilty for clueing Castis in on something that, on second thought, wasn’t really hers to tell.

Garrus stopped in his tracks, mandibles slack-jawed as his gaze met the back of her head.She released her grip on the door and looked to him.If she had any doubt, his reaction just confirmed it. “You know, for a decorated detective, he certainly has blinders on when it comes to you…something we have in common I guess.”

“I-I always meant to tell him.But it’s been...difficult,” he said anxiously, bowing his head.

She worried about all the things he might be keeping from Jane because they were _difficult_.“I sure hope you don’t treat my daughter that way,” she added pointedly unable to control herself.His head snapped up and mandibles flared in surprise, his subvocals thrumming in shock underlined with outrage.He started to defend himself, but Hannah raised her hand gesturing for him to stop as she cut him off, “Later, Vakarian.” 

Garrus stopped himself.Now wasn’t the time, and her neutral expression left him completely unsure of where he stood. _How dare she presume to know anything about my relationship with Jane._ But on the other hand, she let him know the full weight of what he’d be stepping into with his father, basically doing him a favor.His head was spinning, but he didn’t really have time to decode this encounter.His father was waiting.

“Rear Admiral,’ he said curtly, their earlier banter, if you could call it that, forgotten.He leaned on his cane a little more heavily, as if the wind had been knocked out of him, and walked away. 

She turned back to the door then took a deep breath before releasing it and stepping inside the room.


End file.
